By the Deep Blue Sea
by LeeMarieJack
Summary: Winchesters are mermen living on the Channel Islands off the California coast. As Ashur and Marduk they are brothers, treasure hunters, long lived sons of the sea and lovers. Able to survive on dry land they take to raiding ocean front homes for stolen treasures and are pursue by both the police and hunters. Driven back to the water they lead an army to depose the Ocean Witch Queen
1. Chapter 1- Meeting the Boys

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 1

**Meet the Boys**

A storm raged in the Pacific. The wind driven ocean waves rose and clashed under a cloud darkened sky; lightening crackled casting shadows in the water. First all is darkness and then a flash of light reveals a creature riding the torrent. A huge tail flickers on the crest of a wave, is silvered by the celestial fireworks and disappears into the darkness again. The same or another pale and luminescent tail follows the first over the crest of the wave. Almost buried in the rolling thunder and the pounding wind are gusts of laughter.

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The tide sends the waves against the Malibu shoreline further up the sand with every pulse. Above the shore the homes of the rich, on their tall stilts, protected behind their sea walls, look out over the Pacific. Lights blare over the sand and out to sea, creating stages on which their inhabitants dance.

Out of the breaking waves appear two dark forms, crouching close to the sand and dodging from shadow to shadow. Silent and swift the pair moves up to the edges of the buildings and disappears under one.

First there are the soft sounds of digging in the sand pushed up shore by the winds. Sand flies out from under the veranda and is carried away by the breeze. A couple of grunts and the cursing of deep voices drift out from under the house; it sounds like a fight is in progress. The intruders are unaware that the homeowner is sleeping just above them on the deck in a recliner.

Silently the bare foot man stands and tries to peer over his railing. The intruders are definitely under his house. He reaches for a phone on the table and dials 911, extremely confident that there will be an immediate response. This is Malibu. He doesn't expect to wait and he's right. It only takes about ten minutes.

From under the house he hears a sharp bark, like a sea lion and a cry of warning. There is more shuffling and something careens off one of the house supports. The home owner hears the front door bell and runs silently to open the door. On the front landing are two police officers. Mr. Redmond whispers the situation and offers to guide the officers down the side stairs that lead down to the beach.

"No, stay here." the older officer replies. "Just point out the stairs."

The two men draw their guns and creep down the stairs tucked into the outside wall of the stuccoed building. They were clearly outlined against the pastel plaster. If anyone was looking they were in plain sight.

Just as they almost clear the lower floor there is a strong yellow flickering light and the shadows of two tall men intervene between the officers and a fire burning on the ground.

"Hands up, police!" they shout, rushing to clear the rest of the stairs but the two men under the house run straight for the ocean. One is carrying a box by a handle on the short end. The policemen realize these guys are naked.

One officer heads under the house to check on the fire and the other chases after the men. The two suspects are running through the sands and seem to be laughing and making strange clicking noises.

"Stop or I'll shoot." The officer yells thinking at the same time "How the hell do I explain two naked guys with bullet wounds? They definitely aren't armed." He can finally hear his partner yelling and coming after them.

The guy with the box stops suddenly, spins in place like a discus thrower and slings the box off into the ocean. Then the two men take giant strides and leap into the ocean waves; arcing high and splashing down just beyond the surf line. At that point the officer decides to fire but is completely thrown off as the two men appear to transform in the air. By the time they hit the water they have fish tails.

Both officers stop and look at each other. Glancing back at the water they see a frisky fish tail flip up in the air and wriggle as if to wave good bye.

"What did you see?" The older officer asks his partner.

"It had to be a trick of the moonlight," the younger man says. "It almost looked like they had tails."

"That's what I thought." Just then they are distracted by Mr. Redmond yelling from his balcony. When they look back at the man, who is standing 20 feet above the sand, has binoculars in his hand. "They turned into fish." The man yells.

"Not possible." The officer says but they both holster their guns. There is nothing to be done except try to explain what just happened in an official report and not look like coupe of drunks.

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Detective Gabe Wing stood on the beach staring out over the smiling Pacific with his arms folded and a frown on his face. The ocean sparkled and winked back at him but he wasn't fooled. He would never get used to this assignment. He would rather be staring at gritty sidewalks and rundown apartment buildings with the cracked stucco peeling off. He knew that being assigned to Malibu was supposed to be a reward for most cops but deep inside he was very aware that it was a subtle punishment crafted by the Police Chief for shooting his mouth off.

Most Detectives did their job, kept their heads down and their mouths shut. Not him though, not Detective Gabriel Wing. He had talked about the orders to let the Mayor's son score and then bust the dealer with the next strung out junkie in line.

His comment to the reporter for the on-line site about the bust had embarrassed the Mayor, got his son put in rehab as a slap on the wrist by the judge and pissed off Chief Naomi Ryder. They couldn't really do much to him. He received a commendation for exemplary police work and was given the supposedly 'plum' assignment to Malibu. Now here he was. At least burglaries were a step up from patrolling the beaches and telling people to put their clothes back on as they were annoying the neighbors.

He squatted down and picked up a hand full of dry sand. He scanned the beach. It had been high tide last night and any evidence of the pursuit was long gone.

The report turned into at the station made little or no sense at all. He had read it twice. It didn't make any more sense the second time around. He asked to talk to Officers Darryl Brown and Everett Hicks and had been told they were on patrol and would be back at the station at three in the afternoon.

He wouldn't even have been handed the file if the home owner, Neil Redmond, hadn't complained to his good friend and client, Mayor Alvarez. Evidently Mr. Redmond was the Mayor's broker. He could not be ignored. Detective Wing stood up and brushed the sand from his hands. Sneering again at the lovely ocean he headed up under Redmond's house. Shit, now he had sand in his shoes. He hated Malibu. If he wanted to go to the beach he would go on the weekend, on his own time. Freaking Malibu.

Under the house he found a hole, a six foot deep hole. These guys had dug down past the sand into the underlying clay and had started a fire at the bottom. Well, that was different. It almost looked like there had been something at the bottom of the hole. Something these guys had burned. Detective Wing wished he had brought his flashlight with him. It was cool and dark under the house and he really could not make out what was at the bottom of the darker hole. He was suddenly startled by a voice behind him.

"Do you think they were trying to burn down the house?"

Wing turned and was confronted by the home owner himself. Redmond was dressed for the beach; flip-flops, linen pants and a floral patterned red and white shirt. He was holding a gaily striped and sweating glass in his hand, ice cubes tinkling. The beach attire contrasted with the man's immobile face and styled hair. It almost looked like he was wearing a disguise.

They shook hands formally and introduced themselves. "You wouldn't have a flashlight nearby, would you Mr. Redmond?" Wing asked. Redmond looked insulted, as if the detective should have thought of these things himself. Wing already hated the guy.

Redmond retrieved a flashlight from upstairs and gave it to Wing when he returned. Both men squatted over the hole. With the light it was easy to tell that this wasn't just a hole, it was a grave. The intruders had burned a coffin and its contents.

Wing and Redmond backed away from the grave and turned to face the ocean. "You were here when it happened, right?" Wing asked. "I was wondering what you saw. I have to say the official report is just a little thin. "

"I would think so." Redmond responded. "I didn't think that those cops wanted to write down what we saw. It didn't make any sense."

"Go on," Gabe said whipping out his little spiral bound pad to take notes.

Redmond sipped his drink. "Would you mind coming up into the house, Detective?" Redmond seemed uncomfortable. "I'd like to tell you the whole story." He turned to the stairs and Wing followed. Upstairs Redmond went immediately to the deck and showed the Detective the recliner and then led him to the railing. A pair of binoculars lay on a little table nearby.

"I was mostly asleep but the thumping and voices from under the house woke me up. I came over here and I couldn't see anyone but it sounded like someone was fighting under my house. I dialed 911. The noises went on and at one point it sounded like something was thrown against one of the house supports. There were clicking noises and I began to wonder if it might be a couple of harbor seals but then there were voices and shouting. About that time the police came to the door and told me to stay up here. They went down the stairs with their guns drawn."

"I had the binoculars so I clearly saw these two guys running away from the house. They were butt naked and seemed to be laughing. One of them was carrying a box."

"They were laughing?" Gabe inquired.

Redmond took another sip. "They didn't seem to be scared of the cops with guns at all. They were running and laughing then the guy with the box whirled around a couple of times and threw the box pretty far out in the water. They continued to run straight at the ocean and jumped into the water. This is where it got really weird."

"Naked guys under your house evidently digging up a grave and burning a coffin is not weird enough for you? That or the naked guys running from the cops laughing?" Gabe asked. "It got weirder?"

"Yes. I didn't know about the grave then. I had the binoculars and when those guys jumped, and jumped damn high, I saw them turn into fish before they hit the water."

Gabriel eyed Redmond's drink.

"No, I wasn't' drunk." Redmond huffed. "They didn't turn completely into fish; just the bottom half, from the waist down. The top were men. They were god damn mermaids. One of them flipped his tail at us like he was waving good bye and then disappeared under the water."

Gabriel leaned on the railing, looked out over the ocean and thought to himself. "Ok then, mermaids. I'm chasing mermaids. Freaking Malibu."


	2. Chapter 2 -The Channel Islands

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 2

**The Channel Islands**

Strung out along the California coast are five islands that form the Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary. The four northern most islands are the high ground left above the water when the large island of Santa Rosae was submerged due to the rise in ocean levels at the end of the last Ice age. About ten thousand to thirteen thousand years ago the ice sheets began to melt. This rise in ocean waters may have been the trigger for the evolutionary modification of Columbian Mammoths who had swum to Santa Rosae as long as twenty thousand years previously. As the land shrank, so did the mammoths until a sub species of mammoths came in to being; the pygmy mammoths.

The California Chumash Indians inhabited the islands thirteen thousand years ago and may have contributed to the extinction of the pygmy mammoths. Now the National Sanctuary extends for six nautical miles around each island, protecting a fantastic array of plants and fish including giant kelp forests and nearly a thousand kinds of fish and marine plants. On the islands are about 70 different species of plants that grow only on those islands. Some species grow on only a single island. The islands are a riot of the rare, the forgotten and the unknown.

Among the rare and the unknown sit our two mermen, perched on a meadow cliff overlooking the beach on San Miguel Island. They are looking out to sea. This is an excellent choice for two very private beings. The island is only fourteen miles in area and has an official population of none.

The mermen are currently in human form, lying in the grass sunning themselves. Legs are better for escape on land. It's embarrassing to try and slither away from peeping Toms with binoculars and big mouths. Right now they are simply two lovely naked men enjoying the sun and each other. Their slightly reflective skin has an opalescent glaze, now lightly reddened by the sun.

The taller of the two lies back with his arms folded under his head, eyes closed, soaking up the sun's warmth and entirely content. That is he was content until the shorter one reaches out a long leg and pushes on the tall one's hip with a chilly foot.

At first there is chittering and excited sharp noises but the voices are lowered and finally words are used. "Get your cold feet off me, Dean."

"Ah, come on. Why can't I just slide them under your ass and get them warm, Sammy?"

The one called Sammy snorts. "Why the hell are your feet cold all the time, anyway? Is there something wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me, I just have cold feet. As my partner I would think it's somewhere in the contract that it's your responsibility to keep them worm. It only takes a minute. Lift up."

Sam slaps Dean's feet away. "Settle down. The sun will warm them up if you stop messing around."

"You'll regret this bitch. The next time you snore I'm kicking you out of bed." Dean grumbled.

"I don't snore," was the response.

A thumping noise disturbs their bickering. Far out to sea there's a helicopter coming in.

"Ah hell," Dean says and they both stay low and run for the lip of the small cliff. With a wiggle and a flash they are both in the air. By the time they hit the water they once again have silver tails and only a lambent trail of bubbles indicates that something was ever there.

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Detective Gabe Wing rocked back in his office chair and stared at the pictures, newspaper articles and official reports he had pinned to the white board in front of his desk. The short, brown eyed man was sucking on a Jolly Rancher, raspberry, and tossing a baseball from hand to hand. He was trying to find a pattern, a relationship in the mass of supposedly unrelated incidents and documents he had culled from the department's files. He was completely relaxed, with his feet up on his desk but it was obvious that his mind was engaged.

As mentioned before, Wing was a real cop. He wasn't one of these sun tanned, pleasant and polite policeman that made up the force in Malibu. He was actually grateful to his two strange house breakers from last night. If they hadn't handed him a case to think about he would most like be looking for a way to annoy the hell out of his captain and again be out patrolling the beaches looking for litter bugs. Police Chief Ryder had seen to it that Captain Prost was thoroughly schooled in ways to handle Detective Wing.

Wing again scanned through his motley assortment of unsolved robberies. He had noticed a few connections. They were all within a mile of the coast. They all were thefts of jewels and art but no paper. These robbers were not interested in money unless the theft of rare coins counted as money. They also didn't seem interested in electronics or any of the easily hocked expense modern toys. They wanted gens, and precious metals.

He thought again about what he had seen under Neil Redmond's house. Why would there be a grave under a Malibu beach house? Why would anyone want to burn the coffin n at the bottom?

Redmond and the two patrolmen, Hicks and Brown had all said that the perps were naked and one of them had a box with a handle. Then there was Redmond again, who claimed the perps turned into fish and jumped in the ocean. Wing rubbed his forehead. He picked up his darts and started throwing them at the target nailed up on the column that cut his desk off from the rest of the squad room. His dart board was right under the big white faced clock that was the regular focus of half the eyes in the squad on a day long basis.

It was just another thing that pissed Wing off; all these bodies, sitting, waiting for something to happen and turning into clock watchers. He really couldn't blame them. All the short staffed squads down town and here was a blatant waste of man power.

Of course, most of the officers would fight tooth and nail to hold on to their Malibu assignment. Beautiful weather, lovely views of the Ocean, rich, clean houses and most of the locals did not normally carry guns. The place was an absolute wonderland for a cop used to gang fights and drivebys.

But now Gabe had a case, a real case. He glanced again at his board. This had been going on for a while. It looked like maybe years. He looked around and his eyes fell on the new guy, Ethan House he thought was the name. The shiny hadn't even worn off the guy's badge yet.

Ethan was eager, young and unfortunately the nephew of Captain Prost. The Captain's sister was evidently a strong willed woman and she saw to it that her darling boy was placed in the Malibu station as soon as he graduated. She leaned on her brother until the man broke. The Captain wanted peace in the family at any cost.

Gabe knew an eager beaver when he saw one and shortly thereafter Detective Wing and Ethan House were deep in conversation.

Soon Ethan was off digging through old computer files and dusty boxes looking for unsolved robberies in the area that met Gabe's criteria. Later that afternoon Ethan produced files like a trusty retriever and like a puppy he only asked for a pat on the head and an opportunity to play.

Gabe had cut the search off at a decade and he and Ethan sat and stared at thirty files. Gabe was actually shocked that no one in this station had ever noticed. Some of the files were simple reports of strange trespassers who left recently dug holes behind. Some were actual break-ins but only jewelry or precious metals were taken. The case that had received the most attention was the robbery of a small maritime museum. Ancient Spanish coins were removed from their display cases.

Gabe kept having a particular word leap to the front of his mind; treasure. All of the stolen items could be described as treasure. He remembered the box one of the naked men had been carrying according to the witnesses; a box the man had thrown into the ocean.

Ethan waited patiently, staring at Gabe for instructions and Gabe leaned back in his chair. He templed his fingers, leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. He was thinking about treasure hunters. In addition, off to the side he caught sight of a flickering silver tail. He didn't even wasn't to consider that idea; the idea of treasure hunting mermen.

No, no, that was silly. There had to be a better reason for two naked men to choose to jump into the ocean as an escape route. Gabe had to admit that, no matter why they had done it there was no denying that it had worked. The two perps had disappeared.

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Over on San Miguel Island or rather near San Miguel Island the two mermen stuck their heads out of the water and watched the helicopter land. People unloaded gear and back packs and the copter shut down. Dean leaned over to Sam.

"What do you think? Bone diggers or plant collectors?

Sam laughed at his brother's descriptions and dove under the water. Dean took some extra time to scan the circumference of his ocean view. Off in the east he spotted a boat. Stretching out a fin he kicked at his brother and Sam's head popped out of the water again.

"What do you think of that, Sam?" Dean asked, tilting his head at the far off boat.

Sam held a hand over his eyes to cut out the glare of the sun. "I can't make out exactly what they're doing but it isn't one of the National Park Services boats. I think we better go take a look and find out what they're up to."

The brothers dived down into the green ocean's depths. The Channel Islands were where the confluence of two major ocean currents occurred. It was also a region of persistent ocean upwelling and marked the meeting of two tectonic plates. As a result the ocean around the islands was a nutrient rich environment. The place had been recognized as unique since early in the 20th century. In 1938 had been designated a National Monument, In 1975 it became a National Biosphere Reserve and in 1980 it became a National Park. Each step up the ladder provided more and more protection. Never again would the U.S. Navy be allowed to use San Miguel as a bombing range, as they did in the nineteen forties.

The islands held many secrets; none as well hidden as the mermaid population. However even as protected as the islands were most of the meres preferred the deep ocean. The brothers claimed the territory as theirs and the claim was well respected. Along with the claim came the responsibility of protecting the borders.

Twenty feet down the brothers flickered through the kelp forest. Giant stands of kelp climbed from the ocean floor straining upward towards the light. The turbulent yet gentle ocean currents waved the giant plants about in beautifully coordinated movements. The mermen appeared and disappeared, playing among the dancing vines. Down on the ocean floor fuzzy Christmas Tree coral in a multitude of shades provided protection for the flashing colorful fish.

The ocean all around the Islands was alive and a tribute to the diversity of life in all colors, all shapes and forms. The meres with their opalescent skins and silvery tails acted as the shepherds of their territory.

This is why the brothers headed directly for the unknown boat. Some humans often just came to look and loved the ocean dance as the brothers did. Other humans came with nets and chisels and hammers to rape and rip and carry away the loveliest pieces they could lift.

The brothers covered the distance quickly and came upon a scuba diver. It was their worst fear. The man was poaching coral. Tapping with his hammer and using a pry bar he damaged and destroyed as much as he selected for his net bag. Broken yellow sea fans, too fragile for his harvest, lay in pieces all around, decades of growth destroyed in an instant.

Dean changed to his human aspect and floated down in front of the poacher. The man was startled, to say the least. Here was a naked man floating just above the ocean floor and glaring at him. Dean was the distraction. Behind the man, still in merman form Sam silently swam up and smacked the poacher with his tail as hard as he could.

To the poacher the only thing with a tail that big in these waters was a shark. He dropped his tools; he stripped off his collection bag and went for the surface as quickly as he could swim. Sam kept below, smacking at the man's legs and trying to stay out of his line of sight. Dean reformed into his merman persona and followed the couple up.

From under the water the brothers watched the man clamber up the side of the boat. They could hear him yelling at his partner and the word shark was loud enough to hear under water. The boat's engine roared. As the boat skipped away at high speed Dean wondered if the diver could possibly be convinced to go back in the water today. Dean certainly hoped not.

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Santa Cruz Island was well known for its large number of complex, beautiful Sea Caves. Kayaking through the Caves was a very popular activity for the island's visitors. Santa Cruz Island caverns had been well plotted but there were other caves on other Islands that had yet to be discovered by the park service. Sam and Dean had their own Sea Cave on San Miguel. After scaring off the coral poacher they returned 'home' entering the cave through a passage that started twenty feet beyond the surf line.

Long ago the brothers had gathered luminescent ocean creatures to light their passage home. Once through the passage they emerged in an open pool with smooth rock platforms around the edge, All along the side were small caverns that the brothers had converted into 'rooms'. This was where they lived in their human forms.

Sleeping in the ocean waves was pleasant and peaceful as long as you didn't mind the occasional visit by the bolder sea life but sleeping in a human bed could be pleasant too. In the winter or during storms it could also be a lot more peaceful.

Additionally Sam had been attracted by the human world and in a quest to feed his always curious mind he had learned their ways, their language and found out all about books. Books did not do well in the ocean so here they were, all lined up and waiting for him.

He and Dean had decided to perhaps cash in some of their assembled treasure and try to have a true human house on the shore. Sam had a dream of going to Pepperdine, the ocean side college in Malibu. There were some draw backs to Pepperdine but they were all overridden by the incredible location. Sam could come up out of the ocean and literally walk to the campus.

Dean had doubts about the entire plan but he loved his brother and wanted to give Sam everything his heart desired. They were lovers and if Dean's lover wanted to spend time on dry land learning about the human world Dean would do anything to help with that dream.

But that was the future and Dean had more current concerns.

"I hate it when they come to steal from us," he grumbled to Sam.

Sam laughed back. "We can always strike back. Where would you like to hit next? I think this room could use a little more sparkle."

Dean loved his treasure. They had been stealing back buried pirate treasures and beautiful objects from the human buildings along the shore for decades. A merman's value could be measured by the amount of his treasure according to their traditions. Dean wasn't adverse to the status his prizes gave him. He also liked to display the treasure on the walls of the cavern.

The place sparkled with gold and silver. Lovely pieces of art made of the precious metals were displayed in niches carved into the walls. Strands of pearls and carefully placed gems added color and texture to the walls and surfaces of Dean's home. And right in the middle of all this glory was Dean's most treasured possession of all, Sam.


	3. Chapter 3 - Gabriel Sees

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 3

**Gabriel Sees**

Detective Wing looked out over the smiling Pacific. He was sitting on the lip of a grassy hill that was already undercut by high tides and ready to fall. He scratched at the soil and came up with a few pebbles which he flung one at a time as far out in the ocean as he could. It made him feel better.

He and his unofficial partner, Ethan House, had combed through the files on the unsolved robberies. They had carefully plotted the robberies on a topographic map of the area and found some rather peculiar relationships. All the robberies took place more or less a mile from the ocean's edge. The deepest inland case had been just slightly over a mile. There had been evidence of two thieves and in almost all of the incidents prints of naked feet had been found. Everything taken was what Gabe had started calling treasure; no electronics, no paper money, just precious metals and jewels.

Another thread tying the cases together was that they had all happened at night, long after sunset; generally between midnight and two in the morning.

So there were the parameters; coastal locations, late night incursions by two guys with bare feet. Gabe had added one more factor that he had not yet shared with Ethan. Every taken could be submerged in water without damage. If the clever escape route these guys had figured out involved the ocean they wouldn't want paper or electronics.

The detective had taken into consideration the odd behavior of the men at the latest robbery. One of them had evidently thrown a box high, far and wide into the frigging ocean. Why? Not only why, but what? What had they dug up from that grave that they threw away after so much effort?

Then they had escaped from the police by diving into the ocean. Hicks and Brown had called in the incident and patrols up and down the Pacific Coast Highway had been watching the coast. Of course, it was a tricky thing to do. People went night fishing along the coast. Lovers sat and watched the sun go down over the ocean and then stayed out on the beach in the dark doing what lovers do

The thing was, for a mile in each direction from Redmond's house there were no unexplained vehicles. Two guys in scuba gear had not appeared. These guys dove into the ocean and disappeared. Unless they had a mini-sub out under the water, how had they escaped? Where did they go and, most of all, what about their swag?

If they had gone to all this trouble and work why throw it away? The whole thing was giving Wing a headache. The more he thought about it the more confused he got. Ethan House had been no help at all. The kid grew up on this coast. Wing expected the kid to have some idea of how this job could have been done but Ethan had nothing.

From the map they had determined the most popular spots for these guys to hit and they had stationed themselves at the extreme edges of the raided territories. So here they were, separated by just about a mile. Each of them was sitting beside the ocean watching the sun go down and waiting for something to happen. To be effective Wing thought that they should have about ten officers staking out the potential sites through the night every night but there was absolutely no way that Wing would be able to swing that plan with both Prost and Ryder watching him like hawks waiting for him to make some kind of mistake.

There was no way that Ryder, Prost and the Mayor could outright fire Wing. He had no disciplinary actions. His file was stuffed with commendations and major busts. They could only try to bore him to death hoping he would go looking for a more challenging work. He refused to do it just to spite them.

This ocean stake out was off the clock. It was a private crusade that Ethan House had joined voluntarily. Gabe sat and watched.

What he didn't know was that he was being watched back.

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Sam and Dean clung to the rocks at the base of the breakwater. It was an old breakwater made of stacked and jumbled stones. They could see Wing's outline against the sky. Whoever this man was the mermen knew he had been haunting the coast right along their favorite hunting grounds.

Dean had his eye on one of the beach houses jutting up into the air along the Coast Highway. He had been watching these people for quite a while off and on. They treated the coastline as if they owned it. It was Dean's coastline, not theirs no matter what their pieces of paper said. Little brother had tried to explain to Dean the human concept of land ownership and Dean thought it was the silliest thing he had ever heard. How could they own the ocean?

Dean and little brother were the shepherds of this coast line and they fought daily against the damage these humans were inflicting on the brothers' territory. The brothers were only two beings and so many of the humans came to the edge of the ocean with their grasping, thieving hands and their giant terrifying machines and their loud, noisy ships.

Outside of the protected National Park and Marine Sanctuary there was trash and polluted water and filth spilling out of the human towns and homes. Progress was slow and difficult. Dan was proud of little brother's plan to fight the humans on their own ground. If Sam could earn the right to stand at the courts of the humans and fight Dean would do everything in his power to help.

Sam had explained to Dean that Dean would be something called a client. Sam would work for Dean; together they would fight on the humans' territory to protect the ocean. The first step in Sam's plan was for Dean to buy a piece of the human territory and have a home there. Once again Dean was bumping up against this idea of ownership. He could own a piece of the human's territory and could tell people to stay away. He trusted little brother and would gladly follow the plan but first he wanted more treasure. He had used all his old treasure in the cave. Now he needed new treasure for Sam's plan.

Dean lolled on the breakwater boulders, casually dipping his tail in and out of the water. He kept one eye on the man watching the ocean and one eye on the lights in the house they were going to raid. Sam was swimming quietly down the other side of the breakwater, dipping occasionally below the water line, depending on big brother to alert if he missed anything.

Finally the lights were dimmed in the house and Dean could see the people climbing up the open stairs to their bed. He whistled, alerting Sam and they both transformed to their human forms. Crouching low and keeping careful watch on the observer, they moved cautiously off the breakwater and lay in the sand waiting for just the right moment to scuttle over the beach to the sparse vegetation at the base of the house.

Once under the house they swarmed up the house pylons and landed on the large deck. Not only was the glass door unlocked, it was slightly ajar and the two brothers slipped into the house. Sam immediately headed for the room with the safe in the wall. With delicate finger tips he settled in to open the combination lock. Dean didn't know where little brother had found out about breaking into safes. Maybe there was a book about it.

Dean went to the display cabinet and opened the g;ass cover by turning the key left in the lock itself; convenient for everyone, the householders and Dean. He wasn't going to have to force anything open and make noise. In the case were pieces of old pirate treasure; once lost in the ocean then ripped out of its watery nook and now returning to the ocean again. Dean had a net bag tied around his waist which he proceeded to fill with his new found treasure.

Den had fashioned the bag from fragments of fishing nets that floated with annoying frequency in the ocean. He glanced over at Sam after he had emptied the case of all the good stuff. Sam had opened the safe and now was wearing his prizes. Dean wanted to giggle but was still keeping quiet. Little brother was wearing rings on every finger. He had strands of pearls, ropes of gems and jeweled pendants hanging from every available spot around his neck.

Sam didn't have a bag and most of his swag would have fallen out anyway. Dean had to admit wearing the pieces was the most efficient thing to do but Sam looked almost barbaric in the blatant display of wealth.

They reversed their path realizing that they were beyond lucky that the home owner had been too lazy, or too drunk, to set his alarms that night. It was a one in a hundred shot. Sam and Dean had been surprised and frightened by blaring alarms before and this peaceful exit was very rare. So far the raid had been a lucky excursion.

On their way back to the breakwater however, Dean saw that the watcher had come down from the hillside and was now standing on the end of the breakwater looking out to sea. As the watcher turned to sweep his eyes over the land side Sam and Dean dived for the sand and tried to burrow in as flat as possible. If the clouds had not been obscuring the crescent moon they might have been spotted.

Just then their luck took flight. Behind them the raided house lit up and someone was shouting and slamming doors. Evidently sleeping beauty had awaken from his probably drunken stupor and remembered that he hadn't set the alarm. The opened safe and the empty display case were a lesson he would not soon forget. The watcher on the breakwater turned towards the house and saw the mermen highlighted by the suddenly glaring light.

Dean saw the watcher draw what looked like a gun and he barked out an alert to his brother. They both stood and ran for the surf. The watcher shouted and fired a couple of times over their heads, Dean assumed. Both he and Sam were very aware of guns.

They splashed into the water and swam. Unfortunately Sam swam straight by the wall and the man on the breakwater spotted little brother in the water.

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Gabe stared into the water. A man, a big man, with long flowing hair was swimming just below him. The creature's fingers glittered with jewels and moonlight reflected off necklaces of gemstones. Gabe fired and there was a high pitched scream. A cloud of dark liquid appeared in the water and the man's face sank. Before Gabe could fire again something hit him full in the back, throwing him forward on to his hands and knees. He lost his gun in the sea. He rolled over to find a man standing behind him. The man was tall and muscled, naked and apparently very, very angry.

There was the sound of loud chittering from the ocean and the man chittered back. Gabe felt an actual chill pass down his spine. He was convinced that what he was looking at wasn't human. The creature hissed at Gabe then stepped on the Detective's stomach and leaped off into the ocean. Gabe caught his breath and then rolled to look into the water. The man-like creature was floating on his back looking directly at the detective.

The merman…. what else could Gabe call it? The merman filled his mouth with so much water his cheeks puffed out and then spit the water out in a perfect stream that hit Gabe full in the face. It reminded Gabe of the Baroque fountains of Europe that arched perfectly and hit their target squarely. The creature in the water laughed at him, chittered and then flipped around and splashed him with a wild wave of water propelled by a huge silver tail. Then it was gone, down in the depths of the sea.

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_Their blood was ichor, their food was ambrosia, their drink nectar. (Unknown_)

Dean sank down into the turbulent water, searching for Sam. He followed a trail of leaking ichor and found his brother sitting on a tide scoured rock, dabbing at a wound in his tail with clumsy fingers.

Wrapping his fingers around Sam's biceps Dean tugged his brother along. They might need to get somewhere out of the water unless Dean could find something to stop the bleeding. As long as Sam's ichor was bleeding out sharks would be attracted to them. The closest Channel Island was seventeen miles away. Such a distance was normally not problem for the speedy brothers but Dean didn't feel like being pursued by the local sharks for those seventeen miles. What if Sam slowed down due to blood loss? They needed to get this wound treated first.

Dean chittered to Sam and told little brother to transform. It would certainly be easier to bind a foot than a fin. Dean tore at some nearby kelp and wrapped the long leaves around Sam's foot.

He wasn't going to forget the face of that human that shot little brother any time soon. The man had better not like to swim.

Dean began the long swim home, acting as an underwater travois. Sam flung an arm around Dean's neck and helped as much as he could. They both understood how serious a blood trail in the water could become. Dean was the engine but Sam was the look out.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

They made it home to San Miguel an hour after sunrise. Dean was exhausted. Little brother was no light weight even though Sam had helped as much as possible without the use of one foot. He had bled here and there along the way but they were safe now, or so Dean thought. As they swam down to their hidden entrance to the Sea Cave Dean noticed that some of the coral on the lip of the cave entrance had been disturbed. This was Dean's own kind of burglar alarm.

Fish weren't usually so clumsy. To disturb this large of a patch Dean suspected a full grown mere had been in their tunnel. On high alert they swam into the pool and popped their heads above the water.

"Oh, Shades of Asherah!" Dean exclaimed as he focused on a black tailed mermaid lying comfortably on a flat rock above the pool. Her dark hair curled to her waist and her iridescent skin glittered in the light reflected from the treasure encrusted walls. The sun light drawn from sky lights high above the cavern's floor illuminated the shinning cave.

"Son of Nammu," the black mermaid chided. "Is that anyway to greet a visitor? Not just any visitor, mind you, but a messenger of Thetis."

Dean slid up on a rock on the opposite side of the pool and held out his hand to his brother.

"Why are you here, Nereide?" Dean asked harshly. "We are sons of Nammu of Mesopotamia. We are not bound to Thetis. You Greeks grow more arrogant with each passing century."

"Thetis demands that you and your brother appear at Festival this year." the Nereide said. "Too long has the blood been sundered. You and your brother need to pass your strength along. If you will not chose voluntarily the choice will be made for you. "

The mermaid's dark eyes flashed in the light of Dean's treasure. "I am called Galene, named for the Goddess and after seeing your value here perhaps I myself will claim you or your brother." She tossed her head. "I would not be that bad of a choice for you. Better me than one of the Goddesses."

Galene studied Sam. "Your brother there is wearing enough for a bridal dowry. Bring such examples of treasure with you to Festival and you will get chosen by the highest ladies of the court. Thetis will protect you for a share."

Galene slid off the rock and into the pool with a splash. "Remember, Festival in three months' time. Make sure you are there or Thetis will send her guard after you. If she has to get you there by force you will be auctioned like livestock."

Galene flipped her tail in a departing gesture, throwing water in Dean's face. With a swirl she was gone under the water and out of their home.

"Dean, what in the world was that all about?" Sam asked.

"We are summoned by Thetis to breed her ladies." Dean said. "I'm not sure right this moment how to get out of the summoning. It's serious when the Queen has to send a messenger. That means we're already in trouble, little brother."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Parade of Whales

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 4

**The Parade of Whales**

Gabriel Wing clambered to his feet and shook the water from his hair. He looked up at the house that was the source of light and noise. He could hear sirens approaching. The homeowners had called in the police. Gabriel hesitated only a moment. He had to get out of there.

He called Ethan at the other end of the beach. "Ethan, something's happened. Get off the beach. Meet me at my car. If any officers come to the car be pleasant but tell them you're just walking on the beach. Tell them you're walking with me. I know it'll look gay as it can get but when I tell you what I saw, you'll understand why we can't say anything."

At the end of this somewhat breathless and garbled spiel Ethan agreed to go wait in the car for Gabe.

About fifteen minutes later Detective Wing opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. He was only minutes ahead of a patrol car that pulled in front of them. He barely had time to tell Ethan that he would brief him when they were alone.

When the officers flashed their lights into the car they were very surprised to find out that they knew the driver and the passenger.

Gabriel rolled down the window. "Good evening," he said. "Officers Hicks and Brown, if I'm not mistaken; what's up guys?"

These were the same patrol officers who had reported on the two robbers diving into the sea last month. Now here they were again.

"Do you guys work this end of the beach all the time?" Detective Wing asked.

"No,' Hicks answered. "Just lucky, I guess. There's been another one of those ocean side robberies. The tenants say they saw two guys jump into the ocean but they also said there was another guy standing out on the breakwater. I'm thinking maybe he had the boat. They probably got away by boat."

Officer Brown could not restrain himself; "Detective Wing, what are you and House doing out here? You aren't here because of the robbery, are you?

Gabe looked back at the suspicious patrolman. "We aren't here helping rob a house, Brown. Ethan and I are just out walking on the beach if that is any business of yours."

Brown flashed his light on Ethan's face and then just backed off. If a Hollywood detective and the Captain's nephew wanted to hold hands and stroll along the beach, they had a perfect right to do that. Brown thought to himself that he also had a perfect right to keep that little piece of information for his own personal possible future use.

Hicks was at the end of his career and due for retirement. Brown was just starting out and a transfer to Detective rank wouldn't hurt any of his potential career plans. Brown was a careful man with a long memory. He would keep an eye on Wing and House.

Gabe drove over to the site of the robbery. The house was already crawling with copes and one more in a Hawaiian shirt wasn't even noticed. Wing got all the pertinent information he needed. Jewels had been taken from the hidden safe. Gold and silver Spanish coins and antique jewelry had come out of the long display case. Wing could following the drying prints of naked feet out on to the deck and see how the two men had spit up, each one claiming his own personal house pylon to slide down.

There was some excitement inside the house and Wing went back in. The forensics guy was freaking out over something he had found on the safe. When Wing got close enough he heard it was finger prints.

"Good," Wing said to the tech. "That will help a lot. These guys evidently do these thefts naked. We've got their footprints everywhere but this is the first time they have left finger prints."

"I don't know how useful these prints are going to be," the tech responded. "Take a look at these."

He had mounted the lift tapes on glass slides and he held a slide up to the light so that they could all see. Instead of the expected whorls and lines the prints had markings like a sponge. There were hundreds of little tiny circles, joined together into a distinctive pattern. They would be easy to identify if they ever caught their guys but there was absolutely no way these things could be found in a data base. They didn't even look human.

Leaving the crowd in the house Wing went back out on the deck. He leaned pensively on the railing and stared out over the ocean. He remembered what the guy in the water had looked like, covering in gems and pearls, his long hair moving with the waves. Gabriel wasn't going to say it out loud but he was beginning to think that he actually was looking for marauding mermaids. Mermen? Who the hell knew?

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Safe within the cave Dean tended to Sam's bullet wound. It wasn't so bad. It looked like a through and through; the bullet had passed through the delicate fin and out the other side. It hurt Sam, of course, and Dean would not forget the face of the human who had hurt his brother but things could have been a lot worse.

"How are you feeling, little brother?" Dean asked.

Sam was lying at the side of the pool, fully human. He was keeping his feet out of the salty water because it stung. In human form the wound was actually worse than in Cetacean form. Sam's fin was cartilaginous, like that of a shark and the damage was not so severe or painful. In human form his foot was made up of actual bones, some of which were fractured by the bullet and so the pain was greater.

San was in human form and so more uncomfortable than necessary but Dean had asked him to transform. Dean wanted a clear handle on the possible permanent damage to the human foot.

"Dean," Sam said. "If you feel it is necessary we could go see a human Doctor about my foot."

Dean glanced up at his brother. "Just how do you think we can do that?"

"I have been looking at the human schools and Universities." San said quietly. "We are very near to one of the great teaching schools for medicine, the UCLA Medical School. We could go and see someone there who knows all about human bones."

Dean finished tending to Sam's foot and stood up. "Yes, we could do that if it looks like something's going wrong. For right now though I think we'll be alright."

As Dean was speaking the brothers heard a deep rumbling, a sound so low that it wasn't really heard, it was felt in their bones.

Dean smiled at his brother and Sam dimpled up.

"I think the pod is back." Dean said, obviously happy. "Do you think you can come out to see them?"

Sam transformed back into his merman form, popping the now too small human binding off his foot. Both brothers dove into the pool and headed out to see the morning sun glinting on the waves and the foaming paths carved through the waters by a migrating pod of Grey Whales.

The whales were heading for the breeding and birthing lagoons down in Baja California as they had done yearly for the past thirty million years.

Once there had been migrations of the peaceful forty foot long giants down the Eastern seaboard of the United States, through the Japanese islands to the Korean Peninsula, from North of England along the European coast to the Mediterranean Sea as far as the coast of modern Israel but other than a few dozen along the Japanese Islands the only notable populations left were the Pacific Grey Whales that migrated down the west Coast of California. The other populations had fallen to greedy whalers of a hundred years prior; whalers who preferred the cows, leaving the youngest whales to starve, adding further to the decimation of the whale populations.

The California Grey Whales had been protected for the past 80 years when the loss of the great sea animals had first been noticed and so there were currently as many as 20.000 migrating whales along California's coast from early fall to mid-December. After breeding and birthing the pods turned back and again swam their 10,000 mile migration route back to the Bering Sea short of the Arctic Circle.

Like a great heartbeat of the Ocean the pods had moved back and forth from the Arctic Circle to the Equator. Once other populations had matched the dance along the highways of the oceanic world but now they were gone. The sighting of a single individual off the coast of Israel in 2011 made worldwide news.

The brothers swam out to greet some of the same individuals that they been greeting every fall for decades. The Whales rose up to the surface to suck air then rolled their great backs into a curve and with a flip of their huge tails sunk down to the ocean's bed.

Sam and Dean followed one of their oldest friends, a heavily scarred male, down. The Whale's huge, gentle eye, sitting just above the curling end of his gigantic mouth rolled at the two flitting mermen and Whale song filled the ocean. Up close the mermen actually had to covered their ears but only for a moment. The song was answered from all points, near and far, as the entire pod greeted their old friends.

The Whales were the ocean's philosophers. They had watched through centuries the rise of the other mammals. The mermen had first splashed into the oceans from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the Whales watched as the Sons and Daughters of Nammu found homes and lives on the oceans' floors.

The great Cetaceans had watched as their oceans were despoiled; as foreign structures poured poison into the waters and as huge noises drown out their own songs. Still every year they swam their pattern from the Bering Sea to Baja California, confident that they would persevere. It was not in their nature to try to change the world. They accepted what came and treasured their peace.

Sam swam with the diving male and watched as the whale scooped up a mouthful of the sea bed; taking all comers. Sam never could figure out what made one patch of sea bed more attractive than another. The Whale expelled the cloud of dissolved soil, trapping the tiny animals that hid in the soil against his baleen curtain. As the water cleared Sam followed the giant creature back up to the surface where the Whale breached in joy,

When the Whale's body slammed back on the surface of the water the sound was incredible. For a moment the water displaced by his landing challenged the waves of the ocean itself.

Dean laughed at his brother playing with thirty six tons of animal belly flopping in the ocean. "Get back, Sam." Dean laughed. "He wouldn't even notice if he landed on you."

Sam waved at his brother and reached out to his friend, picking at some of the barnacles growing around the double blow holes. Just as Sam reached out the Whale blew and Sam was pelted with a fountain of water. Dean laughed again at the surprise on Sammy's face. This particular Whale had a sense of humor.

The brothers spent the long morning traveling with the pod of Whales down the coast to the Marina. When whale watchers got too close the brothers dove under until the humans were gone. They patrolled the path, looking for dangers to the youngest Whales, like abandoned fishing nets that entangled and killed.

Dean checked on Sam knowing that his brother would keep going until Dean stopped, wounded fin or not. Sam was stubborn that way. Dean popped his head out of the water, scanning the beach for plunder.

There were people out there. People under umbrellas, people sitting on blankets, people with food baskets; Dean marked those ones down. He knew that Sam and he could not walk out among those humans naked, although he never had quite understood the problem with that. Sam said he understood it but then, Sam could be weird. He had studied these creatures hoping to fade into the group and hide in his quest for knowledge. Dean just never cared. They had nothing he wanted except maybe that food basket.

Dean went back under and swam unseen up beside a group of male swimmers who weren't even swimming. They were standing around yelling at each other. Two of these people shortly were missing their swimming shorts and now were yelling about that. Dean chirruped to Sam and the brothers swam a little further up the beach and transformed. Just like that there were two more humans on the sand.

Dean pointed out an unguarded food basket to his brother and Sam stood look out while Dean checked for proper food. A lot of the contents Dean wouldn't even touch as he had no idea what they might be, There were also those awful glass bottles that were all over the sea bed and Dean wouldn't touch those just on principal even to finally find out what was inside. He picked up those things every day and sometimes they broke. He hated them.

He took what looked like food to him and he and Sam ended up with apples, grapes and celery sticks with some kind of brownish paste on them that tasted pretty god. When Sam chirruped that humans were coming the brothers took their plunder and ran away.


	5. Chapter 5-Tell Me You Love Me, Ashur and

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 5

**Tell Me You Love Me-Ashur and Marduk**

Sam sat in the sand holding the apple Dean had found in the food basket. He stretched out his long legs, rubbing the skin against the sand lightly. They spent so much time in the water lately Sam was fascinated just by the way he could wiggle his toes. The foot with the bullet hole in it didn't feel that good but he dug in with the other one, teased by the sensation of sand between his toes. He took a big bite of the apple and the juice ran down his hand and his chin. In the water it would have floated away; here it created little tickling paths on his skin.

He looked around for his brother and found him standing at the edge of the waves, arms crossed and the sun gilding his skin. He definitely looked like a son of the sea and all these humans walking up and down the beach would stare when they caught sight of his beautiful face. Dean didn't even pay attention to the stares or hear the whispers. He was looking out over the sea watching the foaming paths created by the passing whales.

With the Sons of Nammu on the sand the whales came in close to the shore. The Sons might think they were protecting the whales but the whales felt that the Sons needed them near. Dry land was no place for a Son of Nammu. The whales knew these sea creatures as descendants from the Sumero-Babalonian civilization and never learned the 'human' names the mermen gave themselves. To the whales Dean was Ashur and Sam was Marduk, names honoring the gods of the Hammurabi period. By human count those gods reigned in the Fertile Crescent during the 18th century Before the Christian era.

Dean laughed and threw up an arm to wave at his friends. Far out in the water a whale rolled and sank under the water, flipping his tail high in parting. Dean turned away as the whales disappeared and began to run back to Sam.

Sam stared at his brother, just like the humans. Dean body was a poem of flexing muscles and bright eyes. The wind ruffled his hair and he laughed as he ran. Sam felt an answering tickle in his stolen shorts. It reminded him that he had not had his brother under him for a while. On sand his brother was Dean but in the water he was wholly Ashur, Marduk's lover.

Dean was distracted lately by his quest for gold and Sam felt that he was being neglected. He appreciated Dean's desire to buy Sam his human home, his piece of the human world, but Sam had needs and one of those needs was his brother's flesh on a regular basis.

Dean arrived and threw himself on the sand next to Sam. "Your apple sprung a leak, Sam." Dean laughed and put out a hand to trace the juice running down Sam's arm.

"Here," Sam said. "Lick it up." He held a forearm to Dean's mouth. Dean's long, pink tongue darted out and licked a strip up Sam's arm. Sam closed his eyes and thought of all the places on his body that Dean's tongue had tasted. He shivered and pulled Dean's head in closer getting ready to claim his brother's mouth.

"Hey, Sam." Den yelped and pulled back. "We're kind of out here in front of all these humans. Why don't you save it until we get home?" Dean pushed up off the sand and stood up. Sam felt as if he had just been slapped n the face.

The younger Mere stayed on the sand and glared at his brother. Dean had turned his back on Sam and was now peering about, rubbing the back of his neck and watching out for the humans. Sam fumed. Now it was on. Dean had hurt his feelings; had turned down his kiss. Sam determined that Dean was going to learn not to do that ever again. The taller Mere finally also stood up and walked over the sand to the ocean's edge.

Dean noticed the set of his brother's shoulders. Even from the back he could tell that Sam was angry. Realizing what he had done Dean ran after his brother.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," he called out but it was too late. Sam dove into the water and his head never reappeared. Dean once again glanced at the humans on the beach and hoped no one was watching. He took off after Sam.

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Marduk felt his brother's entry into the water but ignored Ashur's cries. He was determined to teach his brother a lesson and he flipped and dived, gliding just above the sea bed. He curled through the kelp forest, surprising small fish and even a shark or two. He was lonely but the sharp edge of his anger and hurt urged him on. Ashur could go home for all he cared. He was thinking of the young human he had seen sitting in the grass last night, waiting for the brothers to appear.

The human had been young and well formed; the freshness of young manhood barely upon him. Marduk wondered, swimming strongly up the coast, how different human flesh might taste. For centuries he had only tasted his brother and it had been enough.

After a while Marduk rose to the surface to check the day. When he popped his head out of the water he found a world glowing with all the colors of the sunset. The sky had darkened in the east and early stars were peeking through. The sun rolled along the edge of the sea; a golden ball sinking into the water. The sky was streaked orange, gold and yellow with pinkish clouds floating just out of reach.

In another fifteen minutes or so the sun would be gone along with all its trailing glory. Marduk dove down again and picked up speed. He wanted to be off shore at the raiding ground as soon as he could get there. He had a feeling the young human would once again be sitting along the shore, all alone. Marduk was thinking of a surprise for the young man. Deep within he felt a little stab of guilt, like a punch to his stomach. Once again he justified his actions as teaching his brother not to deny him ever.

He floated in the water opposite the shore. The moon had risen and now all the water was gilded with silver. Each ripple gleamed and curled. As he watched a light appeared above the shore and sounds of voices drifted out to him. There were the voices of two men and then the sound of a human car leaving. Marduk dived and headed for the shore.

He had the stolen swimming shorts wrapped around one arm and once on the sand he slipped them on. Very quietly he moved to just below the point where the young man had kept watch the previous night and then lay down in the still warm sand. He heard the man making small noises above him and pretended to just wake up.

"Hello, who's there?" Sam called out, stitching his arms over his head.

"Oh, sorry," a male voice replied. "I didn't know there was anyone there."

Pretending confusion Sam stood up. "My god, what time is it? I fell asleep. Where is everybody?"

She looked at the man on the edge of the sand. "Hey, I'm Sam," he said cheerfully and held out his hand. He was on land. On land he was Sam.

Ethan House took Sam's hand and retuned the gesture. "I'm Ethan House. Sorry, there's no one else around so if you were with other people it looks like they left you here."

Sam shrugged. "What can you expect from college students?" Sam knew what he looked like in the moonlight; tall, smoothly muscled and gorgeous. If this House character had an ounce of passion in his soul Sam figured he could tap it for sure. Using his grip on Ethan's hand Sam pulled himself up to stand beside the young policeman.

"You wouldn't happen to have a car, would you?' Sam asked. "Maybe you could give me a ride back to campus."

"No, sorry, I was dropped off here." Ethan replied. "I could call my partner to come back."

Sam came closer. "Oh, I don't think we need to do that. I'm just a little cold. I'd be happy to wait with you if I could just get warmed up a little."

Ethan backed up. This guy Sam was really big. "I have a blanket here. You could wrap up in that," he said nervously.

"You can do better than just a blanket, Ethan. Why don't you just come here?" Sam' voice dropped down into a warm purr.

The mood was broken when a voice growled out of the dark. "What the hell are you doing, Sam?"

Sam turned to confront an angry older brother. "Hello, Dean. This is Ethan. He's going to try and help me get warmed up. Ethan, this is my brother, Dean."

Ethan now had two big guys to back away from and one of them was completely naked, not even swim trumks. He nervously flicked the speed dial button on his phone, calling Gabriel Wing.

Dean's eyes shot down to the phone in Ethan's hand. "Who are you calling, Ethan?" he asked.

"No one," Ethan answered.

"Really?" Dean's eyebrows danced and he reached for Sam. "I think it's time for us to go, Sam. Your boyfriend is calling for reinforcements." Dean dragged Sam down on to the sand and the two of them ran for the water.

The phone in Ethan's hand squawked and Ethan answered. "Gabe, I think you should come back here. Come back right now." Ethan's voice was high pitched and anxious. "There's a couple of guys here I think you want to meet."

As Ethan stared the two mermen dived into the water. He saw the silver flash as their tails transformed when they hit the water. One silvery tail flipped water in his direction. It looked like Sam was waving goodbye.

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Deep under the moonlit waters Ashur swam in front of Marduk as quickly as he could. Now he was angry with his brother and hurt. Marduk had never been unfaithful and now Ashur caught him pretending to be human and approaching another male. If this was going to be part of Marduk's human adventure Ashur was not well pleased.

They were passing over the coral beds just on the edge of the Sanctuary when Ashur was taken from behind. Marduk wrapped a long, firm arm around Ashur's waist and pulled him back against his chest. He pushed Ashur's head back against his shoulder and whispered in his brother's ear.

"Did you learn something tonight?" the larger merman hissed. "Don't you ever refuse me again."

"I tried to say I was sorry," Asher answered "but you stomped away and left before you could hear what I said. I said I was sorry. I didn't mean anything. I didn't mean to hurt you. But you meant to hurt me, didn't you, with that human?"

"I could have had him, you know," Marduk muttered. "But it still comes down to I would rather have you." He pulled Asher's head back and took his mouth. Now Ashur was pinned against the larger Mere's body. Marduk ran his free hand down his brother's chest and searched Ashur's groin for the opening to his genital pouch. Long fingers worked their way past the covering flap and seized the penis hiding in the dark, warm and damp pouch.

Asher could feel his brother's penis already out and pressing against his opening. In another moment Ashur was frozen, taken from behind and stroked in front. The dueling sensations robbed him of all control. Marduk entered harshly, his mouth still in possession of his brother's lips and his arm firmly gripping Ashur against his body. His hand continued to work the smaller Mere's cock and Ashur was overwhelmed and owned completely.

"Remember who you belong to, brother," Marduk had let go of his lips and now claimed possession of the Mere's delicate and sensitive ear. "Never deny me again."

The brothers twisted, turned and floated; locked together by both bonds of love and bonds of flesh. Above a colorful bed of coral Ashur achieved climax as his bother pounded into to him. As the Mere's ejaculate drifted in milky streamers it touched the coral and triggered an early spawn. The coral joined in the spasm and clouds of smoky semen drifted with the Mere's tendrils of come. Another bed of coral released eggs and the ocean was full of the fecund scent of sex.


	6. Chapter 6 - A Castle of Dreams

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 6

**A Castle of Dreams**

The brothers splashed back into their Sea Cave. Sam transformed first and stood on the edge then leaned down to help pull Ashur out of the water.

"Never again, Ashur," Sam muttered still in Alpha mode.

Ashur pulled up onto the side of the pool and sat with his tail stirring the water. "Alright, Sam, I get it. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"Until I believe you," the larger man said. "Now grow legs and get up here. We have things to discuss."

Moments later it was two humans sitting at the table. Sam swept aside their haul from the previous night, knocking a couple of Spanish doubloons to the floor and dislodging the rope of pearls from the pile.

Sam opened his laptop. He was definitely the one fascinated by human technology and history. He used the laptop, which he had "rescued" from a seaside home and brought into the cave in a water proof bag over a year previously, to learn about the dry land world. It was how he had become entranced with human history and law. Now he was going to use it to find their dry land house.

"Dean," he yelled.

Dean had slipped away to their kitchen for a quick snack. He stuck his head around the wall at Sam's bark. "What?"

"Have you been trying to use this thing again? Sam growled. "What did I tell you?"

"Who, me?" Dean replied innocently. "What's wrong?"

"Well it's frozen again on these pictures of human women. How many times have I told you to wait for me if you want to see something?"

"You were asleep." Dena actually tried to flutter his eyelashes, something he had heard about and wanted to check and see if it would work on Sam. "I just wanted to know how they were different from the Mermaids. Do you know where they keep their…"

"Dean, be quiet." Sam yelled again. "Just don't touch the human toys when I'm not here. "

"Ok, fine." Dean grumped. "What are you going to do about it? Rape me again?"

"Rape, rape!" Sam was outraged. "You wanted it just as much as I did." Then he smiled broadly. "Get over here. Now that I think about it that sounds like a really good idea. Maybe later. I want you to look at these houses right now."

Dean approached cautiously and slid into his chair. Sam turned the screen around. There were pictures of four houses on the beach. "Which one do you like, Sam?"

Sam sighed. "It's not really a question of liking them. They are all within walking distance of both the ocean and the University. The problem is that the humans want a lot of their money for these homes. "

He pointed to a smaller house which nestled into the hillside above the road. "This one is the one that I think we might be able to get. It's not right on the beach but as long as you are careful not to get run over by the cars we can still walk to the water."

"Ok, if that's what you want, how do we get it?" Dean looked at the pile of treasure on the table. "They won't just take this stuff, will they?"

No, they won't." Sam replied. "We need help. I think what we need is a lawyer."

"A lawyer." Dean smiled and clapped his hands. "That's what you want to be, right? A lawyer?"

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

A month later Sam and Dean were sitting in the reception room of the Legal Offices of Kettle and Blay, LLC in Santa Monica. Sam had done his research and determined that Simon Kettle was their best hope. Dean carried a small metal chest by the iron handle and Sam clutched his laptop in its waterproof bag.

They had been waiting for a while and Dean was entertaining himself flirting with the dark haired receptionist. He had become more and more interested in human females. Sam had, against his better instinct, shown his brother how to do searches on the computer and now every day Sam was confronted by Dean's 'research'. "They are so different, Sam." Dean had whined when Sam had objected to the amount of time Dean was taking up on the machine.

San tapped his foot nervously and hoped someone would come for them soon. If they were here much longer Dean might climb over the counter in a quest to further his 'research' into the human female form.

Mr. Ashur? Mr. Marduk?" a skinny guy with glasses opened a door. "Mr. Kettle will see you now. Please come with me."

Sam stood and snagged his brother by the waistband of his jeans. After fighting it for a second Dean waved goodbye to the receptionist and trudged after Sam then he pushed in front of his brother. "Who are you?" he asked the guy with glasses.

"I'm Mr. Kettle's Summer Associate. My name is Paul Kenny." The guy replied. Dean looked to Sam for a translation.

"He's a law student, Dean." Sam said. "They get summer jobs with law firms all over the country. He works for the lawyer we want to help us." They were walking down a carpeted corridor with doors on one side and little stalls with people sitting at computers on the other. Dean hung over the stub wall every time he saw a pretty female and a couple of times when he saw a nice looking guy. Sam regained control of his brother with a firm grasp of the jeans waistband again.

Paul Kenny glanced at Dean curiously. Dean gave him a smiled that lit up the corridor.

"Here we go," Paul said and opened a door to a fairly large room with windows overlooking the ocean.

Behind a stark looking glass topped table was a little, middle aged man all dressed in brown. His suit was brown, his crisp looking shirt was beige, and his tie was alternating diagonal strips of beige and light brown with a tiny little line of green randomly placed here and there. He had messy brown hair and was very tan. All in all he looked like a gnome.

The little man stood up and leaned over the desk to shake hands. Sam led and Dean followed, doing whatever Sam did too.

"Gentlemen, I am Simon Kettle. How can I help you?"

"We want to hire you to help us buy a house," Sam said. Dean shifted slightly in his chair and placed his metal chest on his lap.

"I'm sorry. Someone must have given you bad advice. I'm an environmental lawyer, not a real estate lawyer." Mr. Kettle pursed up his lips and shook his head. He sat back down.

Sam, in turn, stood up. "No, you're exactly what we need. You did some work for some friends of ours and it was very successful."

"Really?" Kettle raised his eyebrows in enquiry. "A referral; how very flattering. Who would that be?"

Sam walked over to the office door and stood in front of it flipping the thumb lock. "If we give you something as a retainer and sign your retainer agreement you can't tell anyone about anything we tell you, right?"

"That's true Mr. Marduk. Attorney client privilege would keep everything we discuss confidential; just between us. No one has any right to ask what you tell me unless you want to threaten imminent harm to the public. And that would be up to me to decide. I can't be force to speak." Mr. Kettle said.

He turned to the credenza behind him and found a form. Sam came over and signed on the bottom of the form after reading it very swiftly. He then indicated that Dean should sign also. Dean started to sign in cuneiform and Sam put his hand over his brother's. "In English, Dean. Remember English?"

"Sorry." Dean said and re-signed.

"Now give Mr. Kettle something from your box, Dean." Sam told him. Dean popped the lid and grabbed some gold doubloons and loose gems and laid the handful on Mr. Kettle's desk. The little pile shined and glittered.

Sam looked at the pile critically and then looked at Mr. Kettle. "I'm not good at guessing the value of gems but I'm pretty sure that will cover your retainer."

In years of practicing law Mr. Kettle had very rarely been struck speechless but these potential clients did the trick.

"Dean." Sam said. "Why don't you answer Mr. Kettle's question about who referred us and then show him why we want him as our lawyer?"

"OK," Dean said happily and toed off his boots, pulled off his socks and then stood up and unzipped his jeans. "Our friend Angloki said that you helped clear the water for the summer migration."

Mr. Kettle caught his breath. "Why are you undressing? I don't have a client called Angloki. I don't understand."

Sam smiled at the confused lawyer. "Just give Dean a minute and you'll understand everything. Our friend Angloki is a California Grey Whale. You were the lawyer for the Channel Island Conservation Group that stopped the pollution that was staining the whale's migration route."

Dean had taken off his pants and sat down again. In just a moment he had a sleek silvery fish tail.

"Oh, I've never done that without water before," he said and shifted on the chair. "That itches."

He flipped his tail up and landed it on the lawyer's glass table. It wigged a little and then held still.

The lawyer was stunned. "You're fish. I don't believe it but there it is. Are you both fish?"

Sam scowled a bit. "We're not fish. We're Meres. Dean is Assyrian and I'm Babylonian. We are not fish."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Simon Kettle sat and stared at his newest clients. Actually he stared at their faces and then went back to staring at the tail proudly displayed on his desk.

"Forgive me gentlemen," he finally said. "I need a moment to adjust to this new paradigm,"

Dean glanced up at Sam. "What's a paradigm?"

"A paradigm is a framework containing the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodology that are commonly accepted by members of a community." Sam replied.

Dean pursed his lips. "That didn't help, Sam."

"Simon is adjusting his world to let him believe that we are real." Sam said gently.

Dean turned back to Simon, lifted his tail off the desk and flexed his fins up and down. 'You don't believe this is real?' he asked. "Would you like to touch it? You can touch it if you want."

Simon snapped out of it. After all, he was a veteran lawyer. People came into his office continuously with strange and baffling problems. He had never let weird stop him before. "What is it that you think I can help you with?" he finally asked the brothers.

Sam sat back down again after shaking the office door to make sure it was locked. He didn't need anyone coming in while Dean was Mere. Simon was working out nicely but Sam expected that from a name partner. Only young lawyers and lawyers with a political agenda had a tendency to lose their grip in the face of strange and unusual. Sam had picked out Simon Kettle very carefully. He had talked to some of Kettle's clients and a few attorneys to gauge Kettle's personality. Sam liked Kettle's win record on environmental cases and the Babylonian had decided that the lawyer could most likely be able to deal with the brother's revelations.

"We have a problem. I want to go to Law School." Sam said seriously. "To do that safely we need to have a dry land base and we would like to buy a house. To do that we need identities, I think. We also have a lot of treasure but we certainly can't buy a house with treasure. We can't have a base on dry land that is not close to the coastline. We are the shepherds of the sunken island of Santa Rosae. Rising sea levels at the end of the Pleistocene only left the highest portions of the island above water. Your people now call those peaks the Channel Islands".

"We have responsibilities to fulfill there. These lands are our traditional territory and we must have constant access."

Mr. Kettle leaned back in his chair. "I see. You want to be a lawyer. Well, I must say you would have a unique perspective on environmental issues. We'll go into that later. I assume that you also can change forms, just like Dean. Are you really brothers?

"We are Sons of Nammu, a sea goddess. We had different fathers but we are brothers." Sam answered.

"I must say," Sam went on. "I am very impressed with your calm acceptance of, well, just us. Not many people would be so accepting, as we are well aware."

Mr. Kettle smiled. "I won't guarantee that I won't wake up later tonight and wonder if I am losing my mind. This though," the lawyer ran his fingers through the small pile of treasure on his desk, " seems to feel very real."

"Now, let's settle down to business." The lawyer pulled a clean yellow pad from the top of the credenza.

"The first problem would appear to be identities, both for the house and for the University. We can overcome the property problem with a Trust and I can personally give you a recommendation that will overcome the Administration at Pepperdine. Actually the biggest problem I can see in the future is the treasure and the problem of unsupported income. We are going to have to have some staff working on this problem as I see actual sale of the gold and jewels will have to take place. I can't do that for you but perhaps our Mr. Kenny can. I believe we will also need a paralegal for the document side of the case. Do I have your permission to bring two more people in to take a look at your ultimate proof of your claim; your tails?"

Sam and Dean laughed at Mr. Kettle's approach and prepared for two more people to be admitted to their growing circle of dry land confidents.

Sam tuned serious for a moment. "Before you bring these people in I want to tell you something that only you can know. Some of our treasure has been reclaimed from the humans who stole it from the sea. In doing so we have attracted the attention of the human police and we cannot be exposed to the human public or press. We must remain hidden. We warn you. We are not human. We will defend ourselves against those that threaten us. Be very sure of your people"

"You need to make it very clear that, if threatened or exposed we will defend ourselves, our territory and the Mere World."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._


	7. Chapter 7 - Ready for Dry Land

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

Chapter 7

**Ready for Dry Land**

**From Chapter 6**

_Do I have your permission to bring two more people in to take a look at your ultimate proof of your claim; your tails?"_

_Sam and Dean laughed at Mr. Kettle's approach and prepared for two more people to be admitted to their growing circle of dry land confidents._

_Sam tuned serious for a moment. "Before you bring these people in I want to tell you something that only you can know. Some of our treasure has been reclaimed from the humans who stole it from the sea. In doing so we have attracted the attention of the human police and we cannot be exposed to the human public or press. We must remain hidden. We warn you. We are not human. We will defend ourselves against those that threaten us. Be very sure of your people"_

"_You need to make it very clear that, if threatened or exposed we will defend ourselves, our territory and the Mere World."_

Chapter 7

Simon Kettle sat in the office's main conference room all alone. He stared at his hands folded on the table in front of him and considered his options. How exactly was he going to broach the description of the firm's newest clients? How could he get his Associate and the Paralegal he had chosen to understand that they could not speak of the clients or disclose any kind of knowledge about them, no matter how they felt about them?

He sighed and buzzed his secretary from the phone on the credenza. "Eileen, please send in Paul Kenny and Liza Dunn."

In a moment for door opened and both Paul Kenny and Liza Dunn entered, carrying yellow pads and cups of coffee. Settling into chairs next to Simon Kettle they got comfortable.

"Liza, Paul," Mr. Kettle nodded to each. "I'm calling you in to form the basis of a team for our newest clients, Dean Ashur and Sam Marduk. I believe you escorted them to my office, Paul."

Paul Kenny nodded in his turn. "Yes, I brought them in.

"What did you think of them, Paul?" Mr. Kettle said very seriously.

Paul settled into his seat further. "Well, they are very nice looking men but there is something just a little unusual about them, especially Mr. Ashur. I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Dean seems to be, excuse me for saying it, but he's just a touch childlike."

"Liza, I'll be interested in your opinion after I introduce you to them but first, look at this." Mr. Kettle reached into his suit jacket pocket and grabbed a handful of the mermen's treasure. "This is their retainer payment." He carefully piled up the little mountain of gold coins and jewels then scraped the balance out of his pocket to add to the pile. The last item was a short rope of pearls Dean had added to the pile at the last moment for a nice decorative touch. Dean was the one, after all who had arranged the adornment of the boys' cave and he liked his treasure to look good.

There was a silence in the conference room and the two new team mates took in the glittering pile.

Simon Kettle leaned forward and plucked the pearl strand off the pile. "Liza, I believe you are entitled to a bonus for your excellent work on the McEarny case. Here," he handed her the pearls. "Would you like these?"

Mr. Kettle turned to Paul Kenny. "Paul, do you like old coins? Would you like a few of these?" he handed the Associate three of the Spanish Doubloons.

"I know this is a little unusual but I feel that, as the senior Partner here, I have been given these treasures as a gift by the brothers and I feel it is appropriate to pass such gifts on to you."

Liza was playing with her pearls, admiring the soft play of pastel colors moving on the shimmering surfaces and Paul slipped his coins in a pants pocket after rubbing the inscribed face of the Queen of Spain of a couple hundred years prior.

"Thank you, very much." Liza said. "These are beautiful and worth a lot, I think."

"I will keep these coins permanently I think" Paul Kenny said, "as mementoes of my very first clients."

"I'm glad you're pleased. You two are some of my very best and I want you to form the core of the firm's support for these brothers. They are brothers even though they have different names, " Mr. Kettle said.

He went on, "You will learn the reason for that soon however first I must remind you very seriously that nothing of the secrets these men will come to disclose can leave this room. You are bound as much by Client-Attorney Confidentiality as I am and any slip of the tongue from either of you would be a personal disaster. Mr. Kenny, the bar will never let you practice in the state if there is even the slightest hint of impropriety and Ms. Dunn, I don't think any other law firm would consent to hire a paralegal who disclosed clients' secrets." Mr. Kettle' face expressed how seriously he was uttering the warnings.

Mr. Kenny and Ms. Dunn took the warning just as seriously.

Paul Kenny glanced at Liza. "I think I can safely speak for both of us, sir, when I say that nothing of the sort will ever happen."

Mr. Kettle slapped his hands down on the conference table. "I hope so because I tell you both, you are going to want to tell someone about what you are going to see now. Don't do it. There are the three of us and we can talk among ourselves behind closed doors but no one else can ever know. Only I can vet someone else into the group and if we need someone else I will be most circumspect about the selection. I will now go get our clients." Mr. Kettle rose and left the room.

Paul glanced over to Liza. She had a stunned expression on her face. "Who are these guys, CIA, whistleblowers, defecting Russians?" Kenny hissed. "I have never been double sworn to secrecy before."

Little Liza Dunn her head, shaking loose a stand of long brown hair from her professional looking French Braid. "I can't imagine. I just know I don't even want to talk to you about it. Mr. Kettle scared me half to death. That must be what taking a security oath feels like."

They stopped talking when Simon Kettle opened the door and let San and Dean walked into the room in front of him. Sam stepped forward to shake Paul Kenny's hand and then Liza's. Dean followed his brother with regard to Paul Kenny but after he shook Liza Dunn's hand he sort of just held on and rolled his big green eyes at her.

"Dean," Sam barked. "Let go and set down. Do it now."

"Lately you're not any fun anymore, Sammy." Dean complained but let go of Liza's hand.

Sam sat to the side of Paul Kenny and Dean took a chair next to Liza but slid back some distance. He knew he was going to be the show and tell portion of the meeting.

Mr. Kettle laid out the problems to his team. The brother's had no official I.D. but wanted to buy a house on the beach. Mr. Kenny was to draw up a trust to hold the property. The brothers had a lot of family treasure, some of which Liza and Paul had seen, and it needed to be quietly converted into cash. Perhaps it would necessitate travel out of state to accomplish that mission.

The more Mr. Kettle went on the more concerned both Ms. Dunn and Paul Kenny became. It almost sounded like they were getting involved with some slightly illegal transactions. Paul Kenny especially was becoming very concerned. He was also confused as to why the brothers had picked a firm known for its environmental work.

During a pause Mr. Kettle leaned back in his chair. "I know that you are both very confused and concerned. I understand and even expected it. If you are both able to swear that you can keep a very big secret the brothers will show you the reason for all this subterfuge. First of all, Dean is Dean's dry land name. Ashur is his water name. I'll explain the difference in a bit. Sam is Samuel's dry land name, Marduk is his water name. They don't technically have last names. Now Dean, I believe, will disclose the big secret." Mr. Kettle settled into his chair, smiled and waved a hand to Dean.

For the second time in the day Dean toed off his boots and socks then rose to remove his pants. He turned away from Liza because he knew that human females didn't like to see strange men get naked. Paul Kenny rose to object but Sam put his hand on Paul's arm. "It's necessary, I promise." Sam said and pulled Paul back in his chair.

Dean sat back down hard because he was already transforming. His legs fused and skin sprouted; wrapping around his now joined legs. Scales rippled up his body. Already having learned that sitting on scales trying to form was very uncomfortable he raised his body from the chair's seat with his hands braced on the upholstered arms. When the change was complete he leaned back and flipped his tail up on the conference room table. It landed with a solid thump.

Paul sputtered, completely dumbstruck and Liza just froze rock still as her eyes seemed to take over half her face.

Dean gave Liza his brightest smile. His face glowed with pride. His tail twitched and he spread the fins out to their greatest extent. They flipped back and forth, flexing and closing and opening wide again. He wiggled them high in the air and bands of gorgeous colors chased themselves over his skin, like the multicolored dance of cuttlefish pigmented chromatophores. Waves of metallic blues and greens, mixed with gold and silver highlights traveled in undulations over the surface of the fins. The background colors were a purple red and yellow field. Although initially quite gaudy the color changes and waves were fascinating to watch. When Dean allowed his fins to quiver the effect was hypnotic.

"Dean," Sam barked out. "Stop that."

"What is he doing?" Paul Kenny gasped out.

"I'm sorry." Sam said. "You'll have to excuse my brother. He's flirting. Liza is holding his pearls. They could be construed as a courting gift."

Sam stood and walked around the table. He leaned down and picked Dean up. "I said, stop it," he growled into his brother's ear. Dean kept his eyes on Liza but Sam took him back around the table and put Dean in the chair next to Paul Kenny.

Sam sat in Dean' old chair and smiled at the assembled legal team. "I hope you still want to work with us." he said. "Dean's pretty harmless. I control him, don't I Dean?" Sam turned to look at his brother who was continuing to try to woo Liza with dancing eyebrows, a glorious smile and his tail flipped back up on the table, bands of colors alive and flickering with bursts of glory.

The three humans in the room were passing through various stages of shock. Mr. Kettle had only been surprised by Dean's display. Liza and Paul were both adjusting to a world where the environment had taken form, walked into their conference room and made demands. Their theoretical environmental concerns had grown legs and walked into their offices.

Mr. Kettle cleared his throat. "While you are adjusting to Sam and Dean here I think you should be aware that our firm was chosen by the brothers based on a recommendation from their friend, Angloki, a California Grey Whale."

Paul Kenny held on to the edge of the conference table as if he were steadying himself on a tumultuous sea. "I need a minute to take all this in. I do have a question through,"

He looked at Sam. "Can you also transform or is it only your brother?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, I have a water form. Hold on." Sam rose and went through the same routine of transformation but when he displayed his tail to the group it was very different. For one thing, Sam was much larger than Dean. His tale was a reflective waterfall of silver and his tail was traced in solid black outlines, curved in the vales of the fins between ridges. The fins rays were also traced in black,

The pattern formed was striking; strong and, in its own way, as barbaric as Dean's gaudy fan but more regal and stern. When he moved a shimmering of delicate gold highlights spread like a blush.

Dean laughed. "He's pretty, isn't he?" Dean refocused on his brother, dropping Liza like an over ripe fish.

Sam smiled back at Dean then swept the group with his eyes. "Damned Assyrians have always been gaudy peacocks. We Babylonians are more civilized."

After Liza and Paul regained their composure the meeting went on. It was one of the oddest conferences ever held in the Offices of Kettle and Blay, decorative touches added by the clients' tales.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

After spending another hour with their clients both Paul and Liza were becoming more comfortable. Paul felt that perhaps later on that night he might freak out over his paradigm shift but so far Sam and Dean were the perfect personifications of the world that Paul had sworn himself to protect. The very last thing he could have ever imagined was that the world of nature would produce its own defenders and he found the idea that Sam wanted to become a lawyer almost unbelievable.

When the mermen said that they had walked to the office from the Santa Monica Pier, Paul offered to drive them back to the ocean. San and Dean were thrilled at the prospect of riding in one of the human cars and Paul ended up driving them back to the pier to pick up their waterproof bags for their human clothes and then driving them up to the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu to get back in the water. Dean left his small casket of treasure at the office so that the lawyer could begin work on selling Dean's ocean plunder. A deposit was needed if they seriously were looking to make an offer on a house.

The bags were very much natural looking bladders with shoulder straps and lips that sealed on their own. The young lawyer decided he really didn't want to know what the bags were made of. He was afraid the things were alive.

He drove them to the beach below the Pepperdine campus and the three beings walked down to the ocean's edge. Dean was completely fascinated by Paul's car and asked a hundred questions, most of which Paul could not answer.

"Sam," Dean tuned to his brother. "When we get our own house can I get one of these cars? I'll take care of it, I promise. We can go everywhere then and see all the different things they have on dry land."

Sam smiled and caressed Dean's cheek with the back of his long fingered hand. "If it will make you happy, my love, of course you can have one of your own." Dean leaned into his seat with a satisfied smile and watched every move that Paul made while driving the car.

The thin, studious Paul sat in the sand and threw pebbles in the ocean. He loved the outdoors and went into environmental law with the only fire ever kindled in his shy soul. The introduction to Sam and Dean shook his world. He saw in Dean everything free and wild that entranced him about nature. Sam was different. He was the movement of glaciers, the slow growth of maintains, the movement of tectonic plates under the land. In other words, Paul was rapidly falling in love with the natural world all over again. He would defend them with his last breath.

As the sun began to sink down to the horizon and take on the appearance of a great golden ball rolling along the rim of the world the two mermen shed their clothes and tucked them away in their bags. Now two naked statues, limed by the setting sun in robes of glistening light walked into the water at the edge of their world and dove into the crashing surf.

Paul watched the magic transformation as the men formed glittering silver tales just before disappearing under the waves.


	8. Chapter 8- A New Raid

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 8 – A New Raid**

**From Chapter 7**

_The thin, studious Paul sat in the sand and threw pebbles in the ocean. He loved the outdoors and went into environmental law with the only fire ever kindled in his shy soul. The introduction to Sam and Dean shook his world. He saw in Dean everything free and wild that entranced him about nature. Sam was different. He was the movement of glaciers, the slow growth of maintains, the movement of tectonic plates under the land. In other words, Paul was rapidly falling in love with the natural world all over again. He would defend them with his last breath._

_As the sun began to sink down to the horizon and take on the appearance of a great golden ball rolling along the rim of the world the two mermen shed their clothes and tucked them away in their bags. Now two naked statues, limed by the setting sun in robes of glistening light walked into the water at the edge of their world and dove into the crashing surf._

_Paul watched the magic transformation as the men formed glittering silver tales just before disappearing under the waves._

**Chapter 8**

The brothers hit the water just at sunset and swiftly moved away from the land. Dean swam on in the lead sinuously winding his way through the clouded water. Sam followed behind, remembering the colors dancing on the Assyrian's tail. Dry land was proving to be an interesting place for the brothers. Perhaps, Sam thought, just a little too interesting for an over sexed merman. He knew that Dean was likely to cut quite a path through the female human population once he had the opportunity.

Paul Kenny had driven them pretty far into Malibu and the Channel Islands and their sea cave were not that far away. Even with the failing light the brothers could make good time and be home quickly. If they elected to increase their energy output they could get up to ten or so miles an hour with occasional bursts of close to twenty. In the dark waters, under the midnight skies they would have to keep a sharp eye out for the constantly trolling sharks. The further from the shore they got, the larger the sharks would get.

They had not seen Orcas in the water lately but there was no reason to be careless. Killer whales could mistake their outlines for that of larger than normal harbor seals, one of the Killers' favorite menu items. It was too late to slap an Orca on the nose when your tail was impaled on those teeth. Orcas were rare in these waters but there was nothing more feared. The Arctic waters were their favored killing grounds. They had even been known to beach themselves on icy shores pursuing their prey onto the land successfully and then sliding back into the waves.

The brothers swam on, startling sleeping groups of fish. Finally the waters were beginning to clear, indicating that they were approaching the islands. Two ocean currents met at the northern end of the Channel Islands, creating a nutrient rich soup for ocean life. They even saw in the distance a sleeping group of migrating whales, the giant bodies suspended vertically in the water, at least one moving upwards to breathe while the rest remained still in the softly rocking water.

Sam looked forward to reaching their own bed. It had been a long day, full of unusual adventure. They had been fascinated by every passing view in their walk from the pier up Santa Monica Boulevard to the lawyer's office. People chattering, cars rushing about, smells that were completely foreign and, most of all, no water.

The larger Mere noticed that Dean appeared to be slowing down and Sam swam up closer to his brother. Dean was obviously exhausted and appeared to be dozing off in the water. Sam swam under and allowed his brother to rest on his back as the smaller Mere was half asleep already.

"Come on Dean," Sam chittered, his clicks and vocalizations bouncing through the water. "Try to help. At least wave that fancy tail of yours and give me a little extra push. I'll get you home as soon as I can."

Sam swam on in the dark water, with his brother's arm flung loosely around his neck. He kept guard; watching for large, dark moving bodies in the water. Mere blood in the water was as good chum as any other ocean creature.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

A few hours before dawn Sam arrived at their tunnel entrance to the sea cave. Dean rested on the larger Mere's back, sound asleep. Sam tried initially to wake his brother gently by shaking and vocalizing deep in his chest but Dean, the ocean's version of a warm furry mammal, fought against being disturbed. Finally Sam simply flipped over and dumped his brother off his back.

Dean flailed and spun in the water, resenting the loss of his warm bed. Finally aware he followed Sam through the tunnel. Both sleek heads popped up through the water inside and they climbed onto the rock shelf. Dean was still yawning from his abrupt awakening and Sam was shaking and exhausted from the long swim with his brother on his back, consistently on the alert for dangers hidden in the dark.

Grabbing one of the soft towels they kept near the rock shelf Sam rubbed himself dry on his way to their bed. Once there he threw himself down and rolled up in a warm silky fur. A few moments later he felt Dean hit the bed beside him and elected to ignore his brother as he sank deeper into sleep.

The last thin hours of the night crept past and the brothers slept peacefully. Dean had worked his way under Sam's chin and Sam's arm was wrapped snugly around Dean's back, holding him close.

Neither merman moved until the morning sunlight punched its way through the cave's hidden skylights far above. As the sunbeams crawled along the floor and then up over onto the bed, Dean woke and yawned. He happened to have landed directly in the sun's path and now he was being roused like every other animal that slept in the dark and lived in the light. His wide green eyes fell on Sam's sleeping face and Dean raised a hand to trace his brother's lips.

Sam twitched his nose, trying to scare off whatever was tickling his lips and Dean leaned up and forward, planting a kiss on Sam's surprised mouth. It was the work of a minute for him to burrow his way into Sam's comfortable wrapping and discover naked skin at the center.

Sam pushed at Dean's invading hands and laughed as Dean's tongue followed, licking and tasting and teasing at Sam's skin. The older brother was obviously up for some morning delight and knew exactly where to find it.

Dean tugged at Sam's covers and soon had his brother laid out naked before him. Sam settled comfortably and folded his arms under his head. "See something you want?" he teased.

Dean pleasured himself against Sam's body, rubbing his morning erection against Sam's semi hard cock. "Come on, Sam." Dean pleaded. "You know I want some."

"You woke me up, you dug me out of my nice warm covers," Sam felt Dean's hands grab at his hips. "I think you need to do the work. Get on and ride, Dean."

Dean tugged at Sam's arms. "Come on, you lazy bastard." he growled.

Sam grinned at Dean's frustration. "Me, a lazy bastard? Who exactly hauled your sleeping ass over twenty miles of ocean last night? I deserve a little service in return. I said get on and ride. Now do it. I want to watch you. Give me a nice show, pretty boy."

Grumbling about spoiled baby brothers Dean reached over to the side table and popped the lid on a container of oil they kept there. Sinking his fingers into the thick, slippery oil he drew back and slicked up Sam's now interested cock. Rubbing and fisting Sam's dick Dean made sure to run a fingernail up the thick vein on the underside, one of Sam's favorite moves. Gathering up more oil Dean reached back between his ass cheeks and slicked the way. He wanted a nice, smooth path for Sam's cock. Finally he penetrated his own entrance and began to stretch his channel in preparation for a nice ride.

"Are you done primping yet, princess?" Sam said getting tired of waiting.

"If you want to help," Dean replied bent over backwards with his fingers inside his passage and his eyes closed. "Feel free to jump in at any time."

Sam reached up, pinched a dusky nipple with one hand and transferred some of the lubricant from his own dripping cock to Dean's. Sam pumped Dean and played with the captured nipple until the nub was rigid . He then switched to the other side to work up a matched set. He never let go of Dean's dick and watched his brother writhe in pleasure while sitting top of his body. Dean's ass was rubbing Sam in all the best places..

Dean was moaning and panting. Sam moved both hands to his brother hips and lifted them up.

"Get ready, big brother." he hissed. "Here I come."

Dean removed his hand from his ass and reached for Sam's dick. It slid easily on Dean's oiled body and caught on his rim. Sam pressed in, Dean helped guide and then Dean sank down slowly on Sam's dick; moaning all the way down. When he was finally seated completely and filled he leaned forward and rested his forehead on Sam's chest.

Sam grabbed Dean's cheeks; his large hands nicely filled with firm flesh and started pounding. Dean slid forward on Sam's slicked body with every thrust, finally arriving at Sam's lips. They kissed like it was more essential than breath; hard, sloppy and hot.

Sam arced and pulsed, Dean held on to Sam's shoulders and did his best to thrust back but he was losing this battle and Sam had him completely under control.

The larger Mere finally wrapped his arms around his brother and flipped them so that Dean was on his back. Sam rolled his ass up and Dean locked his ankles around Sam's waist. He was barely holding on, completely dominated and submissive. Sam rode the smaller Mere, driving into his brother's body as far and as hard as it was possible to go.

Dean climaxed from an overload of sensation and Sam didn't even slow down. He battered through his brother's climax, sliding even faster in the new lubricant trapped between their bodies. When Sam hit his climax he picked his brother up off the bed and held him tightly, so that Dean was fully seated on Sam's cock. Dean could feel every twitch, every throb of the dick inside him and the hot fluid that bathed his passage.

Finally Sam came down from whatever planet he was orbiting and let Dean drop back on the bed. Sam also fell forward and braced himself with an arm on either side of Dean's head. He leaned down and demanded another harsh kiss then set back.

"Was that want you wanted, big brother?"

Dean put a foot on Sam's belly and pushed. "That was exactly what I wanted and you know it."

Sam laughed as he got off the bed and stood up. Holding a hand out to Dean he said, "Come on, and let's see if you can walk."

Dean rolled over on his side away from Sam and curled up. "Go away. I'll get up when I'm sure I can feel my legs again."

Sam laughed and smacked Dean's naked ass then threw a fur blanket over his lover.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Detective Gabriel Wing stood on the beach, watching the sun go down. He knew he was becoming obsessed. He was spending so much time on the Malibu beaches at night that he had to take up night fishing as a cover. Night fishing was hard and dangerous and unless Ethan House elected to come out with him, a lonely business.

Gabriel was focused on the men in the water. He still refused to believe what he had seen floating beside the breakwater. There was no room in the Detective's world for mythical creatures. Mermen or mermaids or mere anything didn't exist. They couldn't. No matter what he thought he saw, these were just a couple of thieves who had discovered a clever get-away trick.

None of the house robberies had been solved. None of the stolen items had turned up in any of the usual places like pawn shops. None of Gabriel's informants had seen the swag on the street. Gabriel was getting beyond frustrated and was seriously considering giving into the pressure and hunting for a job in another City.

He knew his superiors would never let him back out on the streets, not as long as Naomi Ryder had the final say on his assignments. He knew they wanted him out of town and out of their hair. He wondered if they would give him a recommendation to another police chief or it they hated him enough to poison the waters so that he couldn't get anything in law enforcement. He figured it could go either way.

Even his stubbornness had limits however and he had been out here beside the ocean so many nights that people were beginning to talk. This was going to be one of the last nights. Behind him was a house with softly glowing picture windows throwing light out on to the sands. He had seen the woman decked out in jewels come back home from a widely publicized Hollywood party. Her husband, a producer, went to all the best parties and wore the woman like an accessory. He dressed her in all the symbols of success just as she herself was a symbol of his success. Gabriel knew the jewels would go back to the bank in the morning.

If his ocean robbers were going to strike, it would be tonight. Gabriel was out here alone. If had been more than a month since the last robbery and the house was depending on enhanced police patrols and private security to keep them safe. The rent-a-cops knew Gabriel was out on the sands and they didn't bother him. They shared gossip with the patrol officers and everyone seemed to agree that Gabriel Wing had a bee in his bonnet.

It was three in the morning and Gabriel was pretending to be asleep when he heard a splashing in the water. As he watched under his lashes a form came out of the ocean. He tensed up and barely turned his head as the man strolled naked out of the surf and towards the producer's house. A thrill ran along Wing's nerves. He was right and now everyone was going to know it.

He was so jazzed at his long wait coming to an end that he overlooked something important. There was only one man, not two. As he slowly stood up the man disappeared under the house and melted away like a shadow cast by the moon. Gabriel held his breath and listened, straining to hear where his suspect had gone. After a minute he did hear a click that might have been a lock breaking, followed by a soft sliding noise. He was pretty sure the man was in the house. He stepped forward and drew his gun, ready to alert the security guards to the intruder's presence when a hushed voice caressed his ear and strong arms wrapped around his body.

"Silly man." Someone said and in the next minute he was thrown into the surf. He didn't even have time to yell before his head was pushed under the water and strong hands were grappling for his gun. All his training had allowed him to hold on to that gun, first and foremost, although for a fraction of a second he considered whether or not if could fire under water.

It didn't matter; the gun was knocked away and spiraled down in to the sand, lost. The strong arms wrapped around him dragged him further out in the water. He fought to loosen the hold. His air was running out and he kicked desperately. In a minute though the arms let go and he fled upwards toward the light of the moon.

When his head broke water he found himself much further out from the shore that he should have been. Something had dragged him along with impressive speed. He was allowed a few deep breaths and then he felt the hands again. This time they were wrapped around his legs and he was dragged back down under water. He didn't even have time to holler for help.

This time there was no release. The arms dragged him deeper and deeper and the light of the moon disappeared. He knew he was going to die and his last thought was that he didn't even know what was killing him.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Someone turned his head to the side and salty ocean water poured out of his mouth. He was lying on a slanted pile of rocks but he was out of the hated ocean. As he got control of his breath back he flopped over on his back and again laid eyes on the moon. It was the most beautiful thing he had even seen.

He started to cough harshly and small dribbles of water ran down his chin. He sat up and looked around. He was back on that damn stone breakwater, far from the producer's house.

There was a head looking at him from the water and he tried to focus on the face. This guy had come close to killing him he wanted to be able to identify the bastard.

"You don't learn easy, do you?" the man in the water said.

Gabriel tried to stand up but his legs just weren't ready.

The man in the water laughed. "Sit on your ass. You need to rest. Soon enough you will be able to walk away." The head in the water suddenly slipped back swiftly enough to raise a small wake from its passage. Then it moved forward again, smoothly and quickly. long hair trailing behind. Gabriel didn't even see the guy's arms move.

"What was I supposed to learn from you?" the Detective gritted out from between his clenched teeth.

The man in the water laughed at him and then the two strong arms that Gabriel remembered wrestling him down under the water were braced against the rocks. With a heave the man lifted his body out of the water and, just as Gabriel feared, what appeared was a long, silver tale decorated with black lines and patterns on the tail flukes.

"I'm hallucinating," Gabriel muttered.

"Whatever makes you happy." the fish man said. "We only take what these creatures have stolen already from the land and, more importantly, from the sea. We are not your legitimate prey and if you don't want to become ours I'm telling you to stay away. Stop haunting the shore. Keep away from the water. The next time I see you up close I'll show you the bottom of the ocean. That is what you needed to learn."

The fish man leaned closer to Gabriel. For just a moment Gabriel believed he saw shifting bands of brilliant gold pass over the creature's tail and through his eyes. "What is your name, human?"

"My name is Gabriel Wing." The Detective replied. "What's your name, fish-man?"

The creature drew back. "You are a fool. Names have power and you have just given me yours. I am not a fish. I eat fish. I am a Mere. Remember what you have learned here, Gabriel Wing. "

With that warning the creature slid back into the water and dived. In another moment Gabriel was alone with the moon and a gently rolling ocean. He was faced with a long cold walk back to the road.


	9. Chapter 9 - Siren's Songs

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 9 – Siren's Songs**

**From Chapter 8**

_The fish man leaned closer to Gabriel. For just a moment Gabriel believed he saw shifting bands of brilliant gold pass over the creature's tail and through his eyes. "What is your name, human?"_

"_My name is Gabriel Wing." The Detective replied. "What's your name, fish-man?"_

_The creature drew back. "You are a fool. Names have power and you have just given yours to me. I am not a fish. I eat fish. I am a Mere. Remember what you have learned here Gabriel Wing. "_

_With that warning the creature slid back into the water and dived. In another moment Gabriel was alone with the moon and a gently rolling ocean. He was faced with a long cold walk back to the road._

Chapter 9

By the time Gabriel Wing made it back to the Pacific Coast Highway he was shivering from the wind of the onshore flow that struck the L.A. basin each evening in the summer. As the sun set and the ground cooled ocean air was sucked over the landscape. It drove the Desert heat out of the basin and contributed to a twenty or thirty temperature drop each night. Let it be said that it was unpleasant to walk in the breezy night when you were soaking wet.

Finally he climbed up over the berm and was in an ocean side parking lot. There were a few cars scattered here and there but Gabriel didn't bother to look for the owners. These cars were for either night fishermen or romantic couples who thought sex on the beach, under the moon, was romantic. What they would find out was that it was cold, gritty and that the surf up close smelled like dead fish. Beaches were good places to watch sunsets and the night fishermen with their thermal vests and beer coolers knew how to enjoy themselves on the beach at night.

Gabriel trudged on, wrapping his arms around his dank and near naked body. Finally he hit the road and stood there, watching the traffic blow past. After about fifteen minutes a Malibu Patrol car pulled up and Gabriel sighed. It was Officers Hicks and Brown again.

"Hi, Detective Wing, " Hicks said, hanging out the side window. "What going on?"

Gabriel grabbed the back door handle and shook it. "Open the door, Brown. I'm freezing out here."

Once inside the car the two police officers turned in their seats and stared back at Wing.

"What happened, Detective?"

Gabriel growled. "Have you guys got a blanket or anything? I just walked in from the very end of the breakwater and I'm frigging cold."

Hicks went to the trunk and found an emergency blanket. Back in the front seat he handed it over to Wing. "So what happened?"

"There was another robbery tonight, right?" Wing demanded.

"Yeah," Brown answered. "We got the call a little while ago. Christopher Andestine's house was robbed. Somebody got all the wife's jewelry. You know something about it?"

"I watched it happen." Detective Wing said. "I was out on the sand watching the house and some guy came up out of the ocean. I heard him open the veranda door and was just going to call it in when his damned partner got me."

Hicks exchanged looks with Brown. "You're saying this was the same pair of ocean burglars as last month? They're back?"

"Yeah," Gabriel went on. "I know they couldn't resist Andestine's house. It was too perfect. Did they take anything else beside the jewelry?"

"Detective Wing," Office Hicks said as he turned back to start up the patrol car and pull out into the road. "I think you should come back to the station and let everyone hear you story, not just us."

"Don't start with that crap again," Detective Wing grumbled. "I didn't help this guy rob the house. I was out there waiting for them to show up. Like I said, it was just too perfect. It was just the kind of situation these ocean raiders like.

"I'll talk to whoever you want but I want everyone to know that I was right and if the Captain had listened to me we could have caught these guys tonight. Now who knows how long it will be before they came back again? Everyone up and down the coast knows about them now and people are hiring private guards and not bringing their jewelry home with them anymore. Andestine is just the kind of arrogant jerk who didn't believe it could happen to him."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Hours later Detective Wing finally was driven back to his car near the producer's house and told to go home. He was dressed in cast offs from the police locker room that were making him itch. He was also placed on temporary partial suspension and limited to desk jobs. His story of being dragged almost three miles down the coast to the old stone breakwater was not believed by anyone. No man could have pulled off a swim like that hauling another adult male; not even a trained lifeguard or Olympic Marathon swimmer.

Gabriel had almost broken his jaw holding back the full description of his attacker. To claim that it was a merman who had manhandled and threaten him was a sure bet for a trip to the department shrink. At this point in his life Wing was ready to bail on the whole mess. Maybe he could move to Utah or Arizona or someplace far removed from any ocean. He was willing to let this department stew in its own juices. Let them figure it out.

After all, he had been warned by the fish-man to stay away. He couldn't imagine a way to catch these guys who slipped into the ocean to escape. He couldn't exactly chase them and he couldn't get anyone to believe him except Ethan House. Ethan was young and enthusiastic. This case would not be good for Ethen's career. He didn't need to be marked as a nut case.

Gabriel decided to hell with it. It had just turned one o'clock in the morning. Bars were still open. He turned around and headed away from home, He went west on the Pacific Coast Highway, looking for some scuzzy bar where no one could possibly know him.

Gabriel left Malibu behind. He drove past Point Mugu, Oxnard and Ventura. When he was about twenty miles outside of Santa Barbara he noticed a sign directing him to an ocean side diner and bar. It was dark and quiet this far out, typical California; flipping from urban sprawl to dry brush and sifting sand in a blink of an eye. With a 'what the hell' attitude he took the turnoff and found himself on a gravel road dipping down towards the ocean. He was quite a ways north of Malibu now. His fish-men would have to have jets up their ass to have beaten him here.

Stepping out of the car onto a gravel parking lot he entered the bar. It was dimly lit but warm and peaceful. There were a number of men scattered around, usually only one or two men to a table. Gabriel headed up to the bar and slid onto a leather high stool with a sturdy back designed to hold the drunks upright. After getting his hands on a beer Gabriel began to relax. This was a pretty good place for a guy on his own unless you were looking for company. The bar flies were keeping themselves to themselves and what girls were there seemed to be partnered up.

The Detective drank steadily, gradually calming down from his ocean adventure. After nearly drowning he was looking for a way to sooth his nerves. He hardly noticed how the alcohol was hitting him and was surprised to find himself in a conversation with a guy who wandered up to the bar to collect beers for himself and his friend back at their table.

Gabe went with his new friend back to the table and was listening to their stories of night fishing in the ocean and coyote shooting in the hills above Ventura. Somehow Gabe ended up spilling his story of begin dragged through the water by a fish monster that wanted to drown him. For the meandering tale of a drunk these men were paying attention. They seemed to believe Gabe's story and warmed by their belief in him, Gabe went on to spill details that he would have never mentioned if he was sober.

Gabe began to gather himself together and shut up when his new friends tried to pin down exactly where he had seen this fish tailed monster.

"It might have been a monster," Gabe went on "but it talked like a man. Threatened me if I didn't stop looking for him. Said he wasn't a fish. He said he was a Mere. I don't know what that's supposed to mean. He sure looked like a fish to me; a pretty fish with a silver tail. You guys ever hear of a Mere?"

Gabe's new friends, Ed and Vince, just nodded their heads at Gabe's story and kept pressing for more and more details. They also keep passing Gabe more bottles of beer. By the time the bartender announced the bar was closing Gabe was flying pretty high. He brushed off his new friends offers of hospitality and decided he was going to go sleep in his car. Over the hours it had gradually come to him that these guys were being awfully friendly to a drunk guy they had just met.

Even drunk enough to stagger Gabriel Wing was still a cop and he decided the smartest thing he could do at 3 AM surrounded by strangers was lock himself in his car and sleep it off.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

When Dean returned to the edge of the ocean with his hands hull of pretty sparkling gems Sam was nowhere to be found. Dean loaded his swag in his bag and hit the water. Swimming backwards through the swells he looked back at the house that still looked undisturbed. He didn't think that would last for long. He knew that he had left the sliding glass door to the veranda open, electing speed instead of stealth. He wanted to know what Sam had done to the man they had seen standing on the sand when they arrived.

Dean began swimming towards home. They had agreed that the Cave under San Miguel was to be their next stop. All the excitement lately had been pulling them away from their job of guarding their territory and they intended to spend their time for the next few days checking on the boundaries.

Ashur did a lazy backstroke in the water, all the time keeping his eyes open for Marduk. They had responsibilities and Ashur was considering how they would meet those duties if they moved on to the land to allow Marduk to pursue his dream. They needed to discuss the future seriously now that they were making definite plans to leave the water for days at a time.

Ashur felt the pull of the bag at his hip. Marduk had made him understand that they could not take the gems that they took from the houses on the beach to the lawyers. It was bad and could get those people arrested. Marduk wanted Asher to exchange his old ocean found treasures for these new ones from the land. It didn't bother Asher that much. He enjoyed changing the walls of their cave.

Still drifting North West Asher was becoming concerned by Marduk's absence. Then he heard it, Marduk's song. It cut through the water, carried along for who knows how far. But it was all right; Marduk was safe. He was singing and Marduk didn't do that often. He was most likely looking for Ashur. The merman sent out a series of warbling cries, answering his mate through the water. Then he rose to the surface and peered around. The sun was rising, soon it would be dawn but even so he couldn't find Marduk. He cried out and the morning air carried his song aloft.

Again Marduk answered and Ashur swam on, his echolocation sense on alert. He allowed the water to run over his tongue, trying to taste his lover in the water. It appeared he wasn't close enough yet.

Ashur continued and as he neared San Miguel he saw Marduk sitting on the ridge above their cave, still in Mere form. Ashur smiled at his lover who glowed in the early dawn. When close enough Asher reached for Marduk's arm and was pulled up on the ridge beside the larger Mere. Marduk pointed toward the Island of Santa Rosa and Ashur saw a boat where no boat should have been.

"What are they doing?" Ashur asked and Marduk answered with a frown. "I went and looked. They are fishing."

Ashur looked over at the white painted boat lying at anchor. The boat was on the west side of Santa Rosa Island, a good place to hide. Fishing was firmly forbidden in the Marine Sanctuary and these people thought they were getting away with something. Their arrogance was infuriating to the two Mere guardians.

"What do you want to do about it?" Ashur asked.

Marduk smiled down at his partner. "We haven't sunk a boat in a while. How's your singing voice?" Ashur smiled back and the two began a siren's song. A melody just barely heard that drifted over the ocean to the boat. All types of living things were attracted from the birds in the sky to the fish in the water. A Mere's song was a whisper of magic; a hook baited with the promise of pleasure and could not be denied.

The two Mere dived into the ocean and keeping their heads above the water swam over to Santa Rosa all the while keeping a sharp lookout on the boat. Once they parked on the shore and went on singing the people in the boat could not deny the sounds and upped anchor. The silly fools, under the spell beached themselves on Santa Rosa's rocky shore. Boulders tore holes in the ship's hull and it listed to one side as the water rushed in. Finally lying completely on its side the boat went down in shallow water and the people ended up taking an early morning swim.

A few of the humans thought they saw the Meres singing on the shore but the creatures were gone when the people pulled themselves out of the water. Now they were well and truly stuck. There were a couple of permanent rangers on Santa Rosa and these people were going to be caught with a wrecked boat, poached fish if they hadn't been washed away and no way off the island.

Asher and Marduk didn't care. They hadn't managed to kill any one that they knew of. They had created a shipwreck but that was regarded as a honorable and historical tradition for Meres. Sailors were not the Mere's friends. They were threats to ocean life of all kinds and enemies of Meres, whales and other ocean mammals, especially the fur bearing ones like seals.

Warmed by the thought of protecting life Ashur and Marduk swam off home to sleep the sleep of the just. They were unaware that they had just added fuel to the rumors beginning to circulate along the coast of something dangerous in the waters.


	10. Chapter 10- Watchers on the Shore

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 10**

**Watchers on the Shore**

**From Chapter 9**

_A few of the humans thought they saw the Meres singing on the shore but the creatures were gone when the people pulled themselves out of the water. Now they were well and truly stuck. There were a couple of permanent rangers on Santa Rosa and these people were going to be caught with a wrecked boat, poached fish if they hadn't been washed away and no way off the island._

_Asher and Marduk didn't care. They hadn't managed to kill any one that they knew of. They had created a shipwreck but that was regarded as a honorable and historical tradition for Meres. Sailors were not the Meres' friends. They were threats to ocean life of all kinds and enemies of Meres, whales and other ocean mammals, especially the fur bearing ones like seals. _

_Warmed by the thought of protecting life Ashur and Marduk swam off home to sleep the sleep of the just. They were unaware that they had just added fuel to the rumors beginning to circulate along the coast of something dangerous in the waters._

**Chapter 10**

"Don't be ridiculous, boy." Bobby Singer growled into the shone. "Sirens came on shore centuries ago. There are no mermaids sitting on rocks wrecking ships. It's an old Greek legend. Find something useful to kill and stop wasting my time." The gruff old Hunter hung up the phone but continued to mutter under his breath. "Damn dipshit newbies…wouldn't know a black dog if it bit them on the ass…feed 'em all to the nearest wendigo…. Bobby Singer was not real impressed with the batch of new Hunters that had been calling in for help lately.

He went back to the stove and managed to give the chili another couple of stirs before the phone rang again. He might have thrown the spoon if it hadn't been standing straight up in the barely viscous mess he was considering for dinner. Giving the chili the stink eye he went back across the kitchen and picked up a different phone.

"God damn it kid, no. Nobody knows how to kill a water spirit or how to catch mermaids. There ain't no such things as mermaids. If there were mermaids I'm sure they have better things to do than mess with us. I don't care if the ship went down. The captain was probably drunk. I'd like to see him sell that one to the insurance company."

He put the phone down with almost enough force to jerk it off the wall and went back to the chili again. Poking at it with the trapped spoon he noticed that now the glop was heating up there was a very strange smell in the air. It sure as hell didn't smell like chili. He had pretty much decided to go out and get lunch when the damn phone went off again.

This time he turned off the gas and gave some thought about feeding it to Rumsfeld. He decided no, as he crossed the room again for the third time in the past fifteen minutes. Rumsfeld was a good dog. She didn't deserve the chili. Being a dog she'd most likely eat it and then who would end up cleaning dog shit off the hood of the truck? Answering the phone "Singer Salvage, Bobby Singer speaking" he decided to just bury the chili.

"Hi, Grover, what's up?" Bobby was friendly enough. Grover Adams was a long time West Coast Hunter who had given Bobby good solid advice back in the day about coastal waters and Chumash spirits. Bobby respected him so when Grover started talking about the theme of the day Bobby didn't automatically hang up on him.

"I've been getting calls about this all day, Grover. Most of them were from guys who are still studying to pass their GEDs."

Bobby hooked a kitchen chair with his foot and sat down to listen. "So tell me the story. What the hell's going on out there?"

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Ashur and Marduk sat on their favorite outlook on San Miguel. Things had been pretty quiet for a couple of weeks after the excitement of wrecking the poachers' boat. They sat in the soft grass, in full Cetacean form, tails stretched out and flukes spread in the sunlight. Sometimes it was nice to get their scales dry. They were playing the old game of 'my colors can ripple faster than yours' and displaying color messages that were considered just this side of indecent in the Mere world. Ashur dropped back on the grass and flipped his flukes up and spread them in major flirt mode while Marduk sat propped on his arms and smiled down at his playful lover.

Their drowsy, possibly sexy, afternoon was disrupted by voices calling them from the water. Marduk looked over the end of the drop off and saw three pretty mermaids floating in the water.

"Marduk," one of the girls called. "Come on in the water. Come chase us." With that she flipped her tail up out of the water and spread her flukes in a display that said 'Come and get me, big boy" as clearly as if she had shouted it.

The other two drifted in the water, their long dark hair floating on the waves, their tales modestly hid just under the water's surface. Marduk could just barely see their color flares if he stared hard enough. Between Ashur on land and the flirting mermaids in the water poor Marduk couldn't decide who to jump on first.

Ashur settled the larger Mere's problem by flipping around on his belly to look over the edge at the girls. "Look, Marduk," the Syrian said. "Two for me and one for you! Let's go." With that the smaller Mere threw himself off the ledge into the middle of the waiting maids. As he fell the sun glinted off his tail turning him into a streak of silver against the sky.

Just as Ashur fell through the air Marduk's attention was grabbed by a different glint of light. He stared over at Santa Rosa Island and focused on the tree where he thought the glint had appeared. Staring, he made out what he thought might be the dark outlines of two humans perched in the branches. The sun reflecting off a lens had created the warning wink of light. Marduk knew about binoculars. They were commonly found objects on shipwrecks.

Marduk sent out the high pitched warning whistle of the Cetaceans almost without thought and followed Ashur over the cliff. By the time he hit the water the girls and Ashur were already gone. He sank down, hiding in the ocean's depths. He was very sure that he had seen two men on Santa Rosa and those men appeared to be looking for the Meres.

Marduk saw the dusky shadows of the other Meres below. He clicked and chittered and Ashur rose up beside him, the girls forgotten. "What did you see?" Ashur clicked.

"I saw humans spying on us from Santa Rosa Island." Marduk replied. "Now the question is do we just let them go or do we hunt them down? "

Ashur swam around his lover in a nervous circle. "I don't know, Marduk. Do you think they might be there because of the shipwreck?"

"Maybe that policeman I dragged around in the water has been talking about me." Marduk replied. "I don't know. It could turn out that the dumbest thing we have done in a long time was to have sunk that boat. But what else could we have done? They were taking the fish and they weren't supposed to be there. It's our job to protect our territory. I worry though that these humans are getting too close."

Ashur rarely saw the calm and deliberate Marduk disturbed or indecisive. "We did what we needed to do; our jobs. Calm down. I suggest we simply swim over to Santa Rosa and take a closer look at these men. Maybe they're the Rangers. You know the Rangers have seen us before and nothing happened."

They were distracted by the mermaids swimming up beside them. "Aer they gone?" one asked and peered toward Santa Rosa. "What are you going to do now?"

"Historically we have simply ignored such things," Marduk replied. "We're going over to see exactly who these people are and if they're a threat."

"Very well," she replied. "I suppose we'll see you both at the Festival at year end. I understand you have been ordered to attend. Maybe we'll come back in a while to get an early taste or maybe we'll just wait for the Festival. Be careful of these pretty bodies, boys."

With those remarks the boldest mermaid swam around Marduk and grabbed his waist from behind. Pushing as close as she could she slid her hands down his body and tried to open his pouch. Marduk flinched away and escaped her trespassing hands.

"You take liberties, Lady." He growled. She only smiled at him, completely unafraid. "You better rescue Ashur." She said. "He might be having more fun than he can handle."

Glancing over Marduk saw that his partner was being assaulted by the other two, supposedly more modest, maids. One had Ashur's elbows locked behind him while the other was grabbing at his body's most private places. Ashur was giggling and not struggling all that hard.

Marduk went over and pulled the maids off. "Go on, leave. Get your hands out of there," he barked at the one in front.

"Let him go." He ordered the other.

The mermaids gathered together and started to swim west toward the deeper water. "Don't think you can get out of the Queen's summons, Marduk," one of them turned around and said. "You two are already rumored to be on the menu. Don't embarrass the Queen by not showing up."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Emmett and Curly Vance climbed down out of their comfortable tree platform and headed east over the grassy folds of Santa Rosa Island. As they crashed along, incredibly out of place in this peaceful landscape the brothers were debating weighty ideas. They had agreed that, no matter what else, if they could get their sweaty hands on a real mermaid, alive or dead, it didn't matter, they would be set up for life.

The two Vance brothers were always looking for that 'big score'. The score that was going to make all the crap that life threw at them worth it. Of course, the idea that if they had stayed in school, graduated and gotten jobs, any kind of jobs, that their lives would have been a hundred percent better had never entered their heads.

Their Daddy had told them that it wasn't their fault. He told them that those other people were holding them down, keeping them away from all the good jobs and all the pretty women. They spent their days doing low class 'muscle' work and hanging out in bars. Bars were the best places to hear stuff. What they had heard lately was that there were mermaids on the Channel Islands. They hung out in those bars that the hard eyed, secretive men frequented and Emmett and Curley had heard the words "Hunters" often.

They tried to make friends with these Hunters but, just like everyone else, the Hunters didn't want to share. They didn't want Emmett and Curley to cash in on their secrets. They were some more of the people that were holding the brothers down.

Curley had wormed his way into a semi-friendship with one of the very oldest Hunters. The old man wasn't quite all there. He had seen shit, as he said, that would turn your hair white. Evidently the same shit had turned the old man's mind. He sat in the bar night after night telling scary stories to people who weren't there. He talked to empty chairs, issuing warnings. Curley decided to fill one of those empty chairs and he listened carefully to the old man's meandering stories. From out of the ceaseless flow Curley had found a nugget of gold.

The old man said that mermaids had sunk a ship on the back side of Santa Rosa Islands out in the Channel. The old man said they wrecked the ship with a siren's song, whatever that was. Curly and Emmett glued the old man's story to other half heard conversations and came up with the idea of mermaids.

The boat going down on Santa Rosa was common gossip all around the docks so the Vance brothers knew exactly where to go on their mermaid hunt. They snuck on to Santa Rosa at night in a boat they stole from the Marina at Point Mugu and had been on the island for a week, hiding from the occasional and rare Ranger. Today made all the camping out and pissing in bushes worthwhile.

They had been watching the ocean but movement on the shore of San Miguel had attracted Emmett's attention and there they were. Shining silvery tails and waving flukes lead his eyes to the mermaids lying in the grass. He had pounded on Curley's shoulder and shouted "Found 'em. I found 'em!" excitedly.

One of the creatures flipped around on the overhang and then threw itself into the ocean. When it was in the air Emmett finally noticed that it wasn't a mermaid. There were no tits on that shining form. It was a merman. He followed it all the way to the water and then noticed the heads floating out there. He counted four in the water and one still on the cliff.

Something happened and the big one left on the cliff seemed to look straight at Emmett. It then threw itself into the water and they all disappeared. It didn't matter. The brothers knew where the mermaids were.

They climbed down the tree and broke out in loping runs for the boat. They had spear guns and nets and ropes in the boat. They were going to catch a mermaid or maybe a merman. It didn't matter. They were set.

Laughing and pounding each other on the back the brothers made it to the boat in record time for them. They cast off as fast as they could and headed out for San Miguel.

They may have been ignorant fools and they may have had a hard time growing up but they were loading the spear guns with the intention of either killing or seriously wounding rare, almost magical creatures for the perceived glory and money they would garner.

You could argue right and wrong and the sacredness of life until you fell exhausted but no matter what the brothers deserved when Marduk grabbed the side of their boat and rose up out of the water he put them in fear of their lives. Marduk was huge. He was pissed and, above all else, he was not human. These human philosophical questions didn't impress him. He just knew that these men were going to try to kill him and his brother.

Marduk had been speared in the thigh once, long ago and he knew how it hurt and how he bled. He had run from the sharks that day, leaving a blood trail behind before he could flee to dry land. Never again would he let that happen and he certainly was not going to let it happen to Ashur.

He threw himself into the boat and slammed into the side. The boat cooperated with him and capsized neatly, tossing both Vance brothers into the ocean. Marduk took one and Ashur took the other. Marduk slammed one Vance brother into the prow of the boat, knocking him unconscious. Ashur did the same to the brother in his hands. The Vance brother never felt it as they drown.

Marduk and Ashur dragged the dead bodies to the deepest part of their territory and stuffed them under shelves in the coral. Marduk pulled the shelves down on the bodies, keeping them from floating away. The Vance brothers became a feast for the small scavengers of the ocean floor.

It would be a long time before anyone even noticed the Vance brothers were missing. Only the old half mad Hunter wondered where his willing audience had gone.


	11. Chapter 11- By Sea and By Land

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 11**

**By Sea and By Land**

**From Chapter 10**

_Marduk had been speared in the thigh once, long ago and he knew how it hurt and how he bled. He had run from the sharks that day, leaving a blood trail behind before he could flee to dry land. Never again would he let that happen and he certainly was not going to let it happen to Ashur. _

_He threw himself into the boat and slammed into the side. The boat cooperated with him and capsized neatly, tossing both Vance brothers into the ocean. Marduk took one and Ashur took the other. Marduk slammed one Vance brother into the prow of the boat, knocking him unconscious. Ashur did the same to the brother in his hands. The Vance brother never felt it as they drown. _

_Marduk and Ashur dragged the dead bodies to the deepest part of their territory and stuffed them under shelves in the coral. Marduk pulled the shelves down on the bodies, keeping them from floating away. The Vance brothers became a feast for the small scavengers of the ocean floor._

_It would be a long time before anyone even noticed the Vance brothers were missing. Only the old half mad Hunter wondered where his willing audience had gone._

**Chapter 11**

Gabriel Wing sat in the little bar he had found. It had big windows overlooking the ocean and he had become such a regular he had a favorite seat, center stage. From his comfortable and familiar chair he could sit and glare at the ocean all night as long as he paid for the beer.

He was supposed to be on shift tonight but had called in sick. A couple of half-hearted coughs and a sniff was all the energy he had put into the masquerade. Even the woman on the other end of the phone knew it was bullshit but as long as he played his part, she would play hers. After a "you get better soon" she hung up on him and went on to the next call. Gabriel was free to go back to his chair, his beer and his contemplation of the Pacific Ocean. He was running out his sick leave before handing in his resignation.

Even though he had made up his mind to leave the force he had no idea what he was going to do after that. He had done applications on line to a number of jurisdictions but no one had replied. He wondered if Ryder and Prost might be giving out bad recommendations but why should they bother? They wanted him out of their hair and much as he wanted out of Malibu. He blamed the crash and burn of his career on those damn mermen. "Thanks, assholes,"" he murmured and saluted the rolling ocean with a raised beer.

His obsession with the Malibu sands at night and Hicks and Brown picking him up off the Pacific Coast Highway at three in the morning mostly naked had created a whispering campaign in the station that he had slipped over the edge. He knew Captain Prost was just waiting to see him with orders for a psych evaluation.

He knew there were probably a couple of easy busts here in the bar but he couldn't find the energy to care. When he got tired of looking at the ocean sometimes he would study his fellow drinkers and try to figure out what was going on in this place. It didn't look like drugs but there was a definite undercurrent of tension in the place. He had good instincts. There was a stealthy smell to the place like something was hidden underneath the casual conversations and juke box music.

A number of tables would normally hold solitary men who were not looking either for conversation or company. These men all kept a close eye on the front door and occasionally another solitary man would come in and a ripple would spread through the room. They would nod or flick a greeting to the newcomer but no one spoke. Sometimes the newcomer, after asking for a beer would turn and inventory the room checking out the patrons.

Usually the newcomer would finally pick someone and go and sit at their table. The men would talk for a while and then either leave together or the newcomer would move to another table.

Gabriel would smile every time this happened. It almost looked like interviews for a job of some kind. Snorting into the suds floating on top of his beer he thought how funny it would be if these men were all hookers. It would have to be a special club for ugly, old, wrinkled and scarred male hookers. Gabriel was aware that people were weird but he really didn't think they were that weird.

The front door swung open and another newcomer entered the place. He was an older man, a little bit on the chunky side with a red beard sprinkled with grey, a dirty baseball hat and a puffy vest. Like any other newcomer he went to the bar but he bought two beers instead of one, turned and focused on a particular man who was sitting in the shadowed back end of the place and went right to that table. Again, this was not normal. There was no rapid catalogue of the other men in the bar. He went straight for his target.

The two of them didn't hide their voices. Mr. Baseball Cap called out "Hey, Grover!" and the man at the table returned the greeting "Hey, Bobby, you made it. Good to see you, Singer." It was the first time Gabriel could remember hearing anybody's full name spoken in the place.

He noticed that other people had heard the name and a few of them stood and went over to greet his guy, Bobby Singer. In just a couple of minutes there were at least six guys at Singer's table, carrying their beers. They were laughing and slapping Singer's back. It looked like old home week. Evidently this Singer guy was a popular old coot.

Gabriel went back to his disgruntled staring at the ocean. He was so sunk in his funk that he didn't even notice when Singer and the guy he called Grover left their table and headed for him

"Hey," Singer said. "Are you Detective Wing?"

Gabriel startled and almost spilled his drink. "Yes, yes, I'm Wing. How can I help you?" he answered.

"I'm Bobby Singer from South Dakota and this is my friend Grover Adams." The two men pulled out chairs and sat down at Gabriel's table, blocking his view of the ocean. "We hear tell you had a run in with a couple of Meres."

"Somebody post a note on the bulletin board Crazy cop at table 5?" Gabriel sputtered.

"Take it easy, Detective," Singer said. "You don't have to worry about us. We know enough to keep a secret. From what's already gotten out though we figured you might want to tell your story to people who would believe you."

Gabriel looked around at the room. "What is this place? And while you're answering that one, what are Meres? Why would you think I'd talk to you about anything?"

Bobby removed his hat and scratched his head. "Let's just say that most of the guys in this room wouldn't even blink if you told them you'd had a run in with a merman. A lot of them would try to top your story. Let's just say that I'm ready to believe you. You look like an outstanding guy. A good cop who had something happen to him that he doesn't understand. I've heard enough of the rumors around here to come all the way from South Dakota to talk to you and other witnesses."

Gabriel lowered his beer carefully to the table top. "You know of other people who seen these guys?"

"Yeah," Singer went on. " There's you, of course, and maybe your partner House. There's a stock broker by the name of Neil Redmond and a couple of Patrol officers called Hicks and Brown; lots of witnesses. In addition it's said that a ship went down a while ago and the people on board are blaming these Meres. That's half a dozen witnesses right there. More than we usually have for a case like this."

Gabriel stared at the man. "For a case? What kind of case? You guys aren't cops, that's for sure. How do you know this stuff?"

Bobby leaned forward. "Look Detective, you don't have any reason to talk to us except we're willing to listen to you and believe. We're here to find these Meres and try just to take my word for it. We do this kind of stuff all the time. No one will know. No one is going to talk to the papers or to anyone else for that matter. We do what we do and we shut up about it. What'd you say? You want to talk to us about what you saw?"

To hell with it, Gabriel thought. What do I have to lose? I've already lost my job and there's nothing out there for me. Why not?

"Mr. Singer," Gabriel said slowly. "I'm willing to tell you everything I saw if you will agree to take me with you to hunt these things. One of them tried to drown me. I'd like to settle the score."

"Detective Wing," Bobby answered, "if you go out intending to kill one of these creatures I won't take you with us. This is a fact gathering mission. Meres are members of an ocean society that was thought to have died out centuries ago. If you have come across a fragment of the society I want to know about it. I'd like to talk to these Meres."

Gabriel leaned back and took a sip of his beer. "Why? Why would you want to try and talk to these things? They're dangerous, vicious thieves. I was chasing them after they robbed their sixth beach house and one of them had a good go at trying to kill me. They need to be stopped not negotiated with."

"See, that's where you're wrong," Singer replied. "The Meres have been whispered about for four thousand years. The secrets they might know are unimaginable. Do you want to take us through your story or do we just walk away and leave you here?"

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Ashur and Marduk floated off shore, watching a place on the shore that they had found fascinating. It had softly glowing windows and they could see people walking in and out all night. There were many vehicles parked outside, which Ashur found to be more interesting than the people inside. The Syrian wanted to touch those cars. He wanted to know how they worked. What made them move?

Marduk knew that the place was something called a bar. It was a gathering place for the humans. Over the centuries Marduk had spent more time on land than Ashur had and he knew about alcohol. He had even tried it once but it made him snort and it had blown back out his nose. It tasted awful and burned his throat. Humans seemed to like it for some reason.

There was a drink called beer that Marduk thought he might be able to keep from spitting up. It tasted awful, like rotting shell fish but he could take it. Ashur wanted to try it too so they had come tonight with their human clothes in a bag. The brothers thought they would like to try to go in the bar and listen to the people talk. If Marduk was going to become Sam and live on land with Ashur as Dean they needed to practice being around these humans.

The bar might be a good place to start.

They swam through the surf and ran low over the sands, carrying their bag. Behind some rocks they dried their hair and bodies and dressed in the things called T-shirts and Jeans. For shoes they had these soft things called sneakers. As they rarely walked anywhere except in their cave their feet were not at all comfortable in hard shoes or boots. The sneakers seemed best.

Finally dressed they wandered up the beach and into the parking lot. Dean walked from car to car running his hands over curves he found especially enticing. Sam simply shook his head. His brother loved the strangest things. There was a bright red sign in the window that reflected on the shiny cars, creating sparkles and flashes that amused Dean. Sam found the name of this place was The Sea Lounge spelled out in those bright red letters. Once Dean was by his side Sam pulled open the door and they walked into this most human place. There was a music box against the wall and the boys had seen one of those before. Sam dug in his pants pocket and supplied Dean with quarters to make the music play. The shorter Mere went to the gaudy box and stood next to a young man who was leaning on the machine scanning the selections.

"Hello," Dean said softly. "I have money." He showed the young man the quarters Sam had given him. "Do you want to pick some music?"

The young man glanced at Dean the picked some quarters out of his hand. He showed Dean what buttons to push. Harsh music came out with a beat that made Dean want to dance. The machine wailed out "Born, born to be wild" and Dean threw his hands up and laughed. Sam noticed that, as usual, his brother was attracting attention and went over to pull Dean to the bar. With their backs to the room, which was now a lot livelier with the music playing, they sat down and ordered the beers.

The bartender looked them over and decided not to ask for I.D. even though the blonde guy seemed to be short a few cards in the deck. The bartender had noticed the action at the juke box and had seen Jeff Jenks be kind to the guy. He pulled a couple of cold beers out and popped the caps.

With their cold drinks in their hands Sam and Dean swung around on the funny chairs and looked over the other people in the room.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Gabriel was still at his table with Grover Adams and Bobby Singer. They were debating back and forth about which viewpoint was more valid. Wing still wanted to stop the robberies and felt that since one of the Meres had tried to drown him, they were too dangerous to be allowed to run loose.

Bobby argued that Wing was not taking into account the cultural differences. His argument was that they could have killed Wing but instead had dragged him to the breakwater and let him recover. The Meres in what little lore was known always had been robbers. They raided the shore for those things they felt belonged to the ocean. It was an old tradition that Meres were natural raiders and treasure needed to be guarded when they were around.

"It's just part of their natures," Bobby said. "You can't hold it against them. And it's not that they don't know any better. They just don't care. They live by a different code. Human laws are like a foreign language. I'm not saying they couldn't learn but they will never feel it in their bones."

"It's a lot like trying to keep raccoons out of your garbage cans. It's in their nature and the more you try to fight them off the higher the stakes get in the game." Bobby got odd glances over that comparison. "I once took to keeping the garbage cans in the garage and the little buggers tore the wire netting off the vents to get at the cans. I had to pick up garbage every morning. I finally gave in and bought a steel shed with a padlock on the door. Maybe I'm carrying this comparison and little too far. I just get pissed every time I remember those varmints."

Gabriel laughed and raised his beer. He was beginning to like this Singer guy. He looked out over the dark ocean but his eyes were attracted to the reflections in the window of people in the bar. His hand froze and he stared at the faces of two men.

"Mr. Singer,' he whispered. "Don't turn around and look yet but they're here."

"Who's here, Wing?" Bobby asked.

"The Meres. They're at the bar drinking beer." Gabriel answered.

"What do you mean?' Singer snorted. "If there were two guys with tails instead of legs here the place would be in a uproar."

"Didn't I tell you?" Gabriel whispered again. "On land they have legs. I'm telling you, they are right there at the bar. One's blonde and the other is a great big guy with floppy brown hair."

"Are you telling me they can pull a Little Mermaid trick? They grow legs on land? This I gotta see." Bobby swiveled in his chair and looked at the two young men.

Unfortunately for Bobby's intentions Sam had caught sight of Gabriel at the same time that Gabriel had seen Sam. Sam knew Gabriel Wing as the man who had shot him and who he had threatened to drown. Sam grabbed his brother's arm and hissed "Run!"


	12. Chapter 12 - Meeting Bobby Singer

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 12**

**Meeting Bobby Singer**

**From Chapter 11**

"_Mr. Singer,' he whispered. "Don't turn around and look yet but they're here."_

"_Who's here, Wing?" Bobby asked._

"_The Meres. They're at the bar drinking beer." Gabriel answered._

"_What do you mean?' Singer snorted. "If there were two guys with tails instead of legs here the place would be in a uproar."_

"_Didn't I tell you?" Gabriel whispered again. "On land they have legs. I'm telling you, they are right there at the bar. One's blonde and the other is a great big guy with floppy brown hair."_

"_Are you telling me they can pull a Little Mermaid? They grow legs on land? This I gotta see." Bobby swiveled in his chair and looked at the two young men._

_Unfortunately for Bobby's intentions Sam had caught sight of Gabriel at the same time that Gabriel had seen Sam. Sam knew Gabriel Wing as the man who had shot Ashur and who Marduk had threatened to drown. Sam grabbed his brother's arm and hissed "Run!"_

**Chapter 12**

When Sam grabbed his arm and hissed "Run!" Dean didn't hesitate. Sam was the Alpha male in this relationship and certain responses were hard-wired into Dean's brain. One such trait was obedience under pressure and he didn't hesitate. Dropping his beer bottle back onto the glossy bar surface Dean swiveled and followed Sam out the door as fast as he could.

The excitement and the Meres' precipitous flight from the bar didn't pass unnoticed. Two scruffy Hunters sat isolated at a table near the front door. The pair slipped out after the Meres went through. The door was still vibrating gently from the Mere's passage when it swung open again to let the two Hunters out.

The two men followed Sam and Dean through the parking lot. Sam was already mostly stripped out behind the rocks lining the beach, getting ready for his ocean drive. Dean had tripped at the edge of the lot, unused to wearing shoes, and had sprawled on his face in the weeds.

The two Hunters were on Dean before he could get his feet under him again and he hollered for Sam as the men pulled him up and trapped his arms behind his back. The click of handcuffs and the sudden chill of the metal around his wrists terrified him. He struggled to be free.

The men's combined weight was enough to knock the Mere off balance and after he lost his footing again the men began to drag him back through the parking lot. He was shoved into the cab of a pick-up truck and, with one man in the driver's seat and the other man beside him, he was trapped. He initially only yelled to Sam but as he slipped under the rolling cloud of fear and he began to call out for rescue in his cetacean voice. Clicking and whistling desperately he was shocked when they rammed a smelly bag over his head and tied it on with a bandana that slipped over his mouth and between his teeth.

Sam responded to his mate's distress cries by putting the human clothes back on as quickly as he could and running back to the bar, still short one shoe which he carried in his hand. Even so he was too slow. Arriving in the bar parking lot he could hear Dean's muffed cries as a truck pulled out into the road and he stood there, completely stunned, with no idea of how to pursue the people who had taken Dean.

At the sound of a gruff voice he turned to find he was looking down the barrel of Gabriel Wing's gun. The Detective barked out "Get on your knees!" and Sam was now afraid for not only Dean's safety but also for his own life.

There were other men with Wing that Sam didn't know. They were unarmed and Sam appealed to them.

"Please help. They took Dean. Help me find him." Just as Dean had done, Sam slipped into Cetacean mode and his voice rose into harsh clicks and piercing whistles.

Wing responded by raising his gun into Sam's face and clicking the safety off. One of the other men reached out and jerked Wing's arm away. "No need of that Wing." Bobby Singer growled, annoyed at the Detective's automatic response to meeting the unknown.

Bobby placed his extended hand on Sam's shoulder. "Calm down, son. No one's going to hurt you. Let us help you get your friend back."

San began to calm down and become his more restrained persona again. At least he slipped back into English. "Two men in a truck have kidnapped my brother. How can you help me get him back?"

"What's your name, son?" Bobby asked

"On land I am Sam and my brother is Dean." Sam answered hoping that this man could possibly help find Dean. Sam had no idea how to trace his brother. There was no scent trail to follow on land as there would be in water. He needed the human's help.

Bobby turned to Gabriel Wing. "Alright Wing, put down the damn gun. You're supposed to be a Detective. You've got a kidnapping here to investigate. Damn it, get investigating. Sam here is the brother of the victim. Start with that thought and go on from there."

Gabriel stared into Sam's eyes. He remembered those same eyes staring into his face as he puked water up while lying on a cold rocky wall in the ocean with his legs in the water and icy spray pelting his skin. He tried to pull his gun hand away from Singer's grasp.

"Enough, Wing," Bobby Singer snapped. Grover Adams clamped onto Wing's left arm with a harsh no-nonsense grip. "You aren't going to shoot Sam. You're going to help him get his brother back."

"He already tried to kill me once," Wing spat back. "They need to go down. You can't stop me, Singer. I'll arrest you all."

Singer flexed and twisted Wing's arm behind the cop's back, knocking the gun from Gabriel's suddenly nerveless fingers. The gun hit the ground and went off as Wing had already cocked it. The bullet just missed Grover's leg, and ricocheted off a shore rock. The men heard the ping and saw the rock chips fly. After that they lost track of the bullet. At least no one screamed.

"Happy now, Wing?" Bobby sneered. "Maybe I can rustle up some bar patrons for you to shoot while you're in the mood. We aren't going to let you hurt Sam here. Get used to the idea. Now, are you going to help or do we let Sam have you?"

"Let go of me," Wing gritted out between his teeth. "I'll help find the other one but after that all bets are off."

Bobby Singer let go of Gabriel's arm and removed the pressure on the cubital nerve. Gabriel felt his hand come alive again. He clenched and unclenched it trying to get rid of the awful 'pins and needles' sensation. On his other side Adams still held on. Wing tried to shake the man off but it wasn't until Singer nodded that Adams let go.

Without warning Sam drew their attention back to the matter at hand by sending out a Cetacean cry that mirrored the "Lost Love'" cry of the Grey Whales. It was a noise impossible to ignore. A high long cry of loneliness and loss it rattled their bones and assaulted their ears. It was impossible to ignore or misinterpret. It even shook Wing to his core.

After taking a deep breathe Wing slipped into his Detective mode. "Did any of you see the vehicle leaving or the men who took the victim captive?"

"The guys who grabbed him were most likely Paul Tower and his partner." Grover Adams said. "They were sitting by the door and they went out right after the Meres left."

"Who are they?" Wing went on.

"A couple of newbies." Grover snorted. "They've been hanging around for a while on the fringes. They most likely don't even know what they've got."

"Why would they go after these guys if they don't even know anything about them?" Gabriel asked, confused.

"They've heard enough to know that if something has got Bobby Singer out to the West Coast it has to be something big." Grover answered.

"Later you two are going to have to explain to me why Mr. Singer here is a rock star." Gabriel sighed. "Right now let's get our Mere back before Sam makes another noise like the last one. I don't think my nerves can take that again."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Paul Tower and his partner Jason Fowler had Dean tied to a chair in the center of Jason's mother's basement. They followed all the rules that they had convinced old Hunters at The Sea Lounge to give them. The Old Man Who Talked to Chairs had given them little scraps of paper with these "Devil's Trap" drawings on them and other bits of torn off yellow tablet paper with "Exorcisms".

Dean stared at his captors with big eyes. They were humans. He knew they were humans and Sam wasn't going to like this at all. Dean had tripped over his own feet in those silly 'sneakers' and now he had no idea where he was or where Sam was. He couldn't smell the ocean and he did not understand what these humans wanted of him.

They had wrestled him out of the truck thing then into a human house and then down some stairs. Nothing felt right. He shouldn't be here. Maybe he should simply break these ropes and leave but he would have to hurt the humans if he did that and Sam wouldn't like that either. Dean decided to wait and see what happened next.

"Well," Jason said to Paul, "what do we do now?"

"The next step is to figure out what he is, I think," Paul answered. "When we know then we call the Lounge and talk to Mr. Singer. We'll be in then. The other Hunters will have to play attention to us after that. We'll be getting picked for hunts and we'll find out the secrets and who knows what we'll find out. But we have to figure him out first. You got that knife?"

The two young men were looking at a shiny knife, passing it back and forth. Dean didn't like the look of that at all. They kept glancing over at him and one finally waved the knife at him. Dean shrank back in the chair. The guy didn't look all that comfortable with the blade and Dean was afraid he get cut accidentally.

"Wait a minute, Paul. " Jason said and held back Paul's arm. "Aren't we supposed to use that Holy Water first? To find out if he's a demon? If he's a demon we'll have to do that Exorcism thing. The knife won't really work. You'll hurt him but it won't stop him. Get the water first."

Dean was really surprised when they started splashing water on him. He was grateful, of course, and tried to catch some in his mouth. It was nice to let the water run down his body. He had been getting dry and itchy for a while. The only problem was that it wasn't enough water. He wiggled a little in the chair trying to get the water to the backs of his legs. He looked up at the guy with the bottle in his hand. "More, please." Dean said.

"That was unexpected." Paul looked at Jason. "Did he say 'more please'? He wants more water? Give me that knife."

Stepping carefully into the Devil's Circle and holding on to Jason Paul ran the point of the blade down Dean's exposed arm. It was enough make a shallow scratch that started to bleed. Dean chittered at the man and hissed, then reverted to English. 'What do you think you're doing? That hurts. Stop it."

Paul watched Dean's blood run down his arm and drip on the floor. "OK, man," Paul said. "You're not a demon and you're not a werewolf or a shape shifter. What are you? Why did Bobby Singer come all the way from South Dakota looking for you?"

Dean blinked and answered. "In the water I am Ashur, a son of Nammu of Mesopotamia. My brother, Marduk of Babylon and I came out of the water to look at the human world."

Paul looked back at his partner. "Jason, get the journal and start getting some of this stuff down." Paul turned back to Dean and waved the knife at him. "What was that noise you made when I cut you?'

"You hurt me. You made me bleed so I yelled. You don't yell when someone hurts you?" Dean got sneaky. "Could you throw some more of that water on me to wash the blood off?"

"I don't know," Paul answered. "That was our Holy Water. We have to get that stuff from a church and we can't just throw it around when a monster says please."

Dean's head jerked up. "Monster? What monster?" He looked around the basement. He didn't see any monsters. There weren't any sharks or killer wales or even any black mermaids, although that might have been nice. Marduk didn't like the black mermaids but Ashur liked anything he could stick his dick into.

"Any kind of water would be good," Dean said. "It doesn't have to be you special kind of Holy water. Ocean water or spring water or any kind would be good. I'll show you what I am if you get me some water. I itch."

"Hey, Jason, is there a hose down here?" Paul asked.

Jason rolled his eyes. "No there's no hose down here. This is the family room. My Mom would go crazy if you got her stuff wet. Hold on and I'll go get a pitcher and we can give him some water out of the Sparketts bottle. We'll have to clean it up after, you know."

Paul stared over at his partner and huffed. "Fine, go get it." Paul was seriously thinking about trying to find someone else to be his partner. Jason was four years younger than him and he was getting tired of being the older guy who was supposed to know all the answers. He was beginning to think he was the one who needed an older partner.

Jason came back with a gallon sized plastic pitcher full of water and walked over to Dean. "How do you want it?" he asked, trying to be a tough guy.

"Just pour it on my head," Dean answered. Put his head back and closed his eyes. The water ran through his hair and down his body. He felt so much better. His skin settled down. Just then he smelled the ocean. It was either the ocean or something like the ocean. The scent rocketed up his nose. It was Marduk. Dean could smell Marduk. He instantly relaxed.

Between the water he was now drenched with and the scent of the ocean Dean began to change. His jeans ripped as his legs expanded and began to fuse. The sneakers slid right off his flukes and the ropes holding his human legs to the chair broke.

His two idiot captors backed away and watched the monster reveal its true shape. Dean rolled his head back as his arms expanded their long swimming muscles and the ropes binding his hands together cut even deeper into his flesh. He chittered to Marduk and whimpered that he was being hurt. He wanted his lover to come help right now.

There was a slam from upstairs and men's bodies invaded the stairs. Paul tried to reach for his gun but it had fallen out of the back of his pants sometime during the evening. He never had gotten that right. They put up their hands as armed men appeared. One of the men was the other guy that had run out of the Sea Lounge with what was evidently a mermaid.

Paul and Jason's attention was split between the guys on the stairs and the obvious impossibility sitting on a chair in the middle of Jason's mother's basement. It looked like a mermaid. It had a long silvery tail with pretty multi-colored ruffles on its flukes. It still looked like a man on top but somehow it had ripped through all its clothes and was sitting there with the rags of its shirt hanging down.

The tall guy on the stairs looked over at the mermaid? merman? fish person? sitting on the chair.

"Shades of Asherah!" he exclaimed." Ashur"?


	13. Chapter 13- Territories and Treaties

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 13**

**Territories and Treaties**

**From Chapter 12**

_There was a slam from upstairs and men's bodies invaded the stairs. Paul tried to reach for his gun but it had fallen out of the back of his pants sometime during the evening. He never had gotten that right. They put up their hands as armed men appeared. One of the men was the other guy that had run out of the Sea Lounge with what was evidently a mermaid. _

_Paul and Jason's attention was split between the guys on the stairs and the obvious impossibility sitting on a chair in the middle of Jason's mother's basement. It looked like a mermaid. It had a long silvery tail with pretty multi-colored ruffles on its flukes. It still looked like a man on top but somehow it had ripped through all its clothes and was sitting there with the rags of its shirt hanging down. _

_The tall guy on the stairs looked over at the mermaid? merman? fish person? sitting on the chair._

"_Shades of Asherah!" he exclaimed." Ashur"?_

**Chapter 13**

Ashur cried out to Sam to unlock his hands. The larger Mere slid into place and worked at the cuffs. All he seemed to be doing was hurting Ashur more. Finally Bobby Singer grabbed at Paul Tower's arm. "Where's the damn key , boy?"

"In my shirt pocket, Mr. Singer," Paul replied then went on. "Why are you letting him go? He's not human. He's a monster. What are you doing?"

"Some things you just don't do, boy." Bobby relied. "This is one of them." He looked at Ashur, displayed in the chair. "Sure. It's not human but that doesn't mean you have a right to kill it. He never harmed you or anyone else in that bar. Why did you go after him? Why did you think you could kidnap him? If he turned out to just be some guy buying a drink what do you think you would have done about it? "

Bobby glared at Jason and Paul." If he turned out to be just some guy would you have killed him to keep him from turning you guys into the cops for kidnapping? You two shouldn't be out there on your own. You're going to give the rest of us a bad name. Get some older guy to take you on as a partner. All you are right now is two idiots who are going to get themselves killed or who are going to hurt somebody else."

While Bobby was administering his tongue lashing Sam was getting Asher loose. "Why are you Mere?" he asked. "Why aren't you human? This is not what you're supposed to do."

"I know. I'm sorry." Ashur replied. "I got all confused. Get me out of here and I'll change back."

Sam lifted Ashur up into his arms and carried him out of the basement and up the stairs. Once outside Sam seated Ashur on the hood of Wing's vehicle. "Grow legs, damn it. What if you let even more humans see you?"

In a moment a naked man was sitting on the hood of the car.

Sam laughed. "I really don't know if that's an improvement. Let me see if I can find something for you to wear. What happened to your clothes?"

"I'm never wearing those stupid sneakers again," Ashur answered back. "The rest of my clothes tore when I changed. Find something for me; it's not very warm out here. Dry skin gets cold fast. What's wrong with it?"

Sam grinned at his complaining mate. "I'll get you something to wrap up in. Stop whining. Remember, you're supposed to be a warrior not a blushing maiden."

When Wing and Bobby and Grover appeared Sam and Dean were in the back seat of Wing's car with Dean wrapped in a blanket.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

An hour later all five men were in Bobby's motel room. The Meres were lying on the bed together with Dean entangled in Sam's arms. Bobby, Grover and Wing were sitting around the rickety little table provided by the motel. The three humans were taking turns at a bottle of whiskey Bobby found in his duffle and alternately arguing or staring at the Meres. Bobby had pretty much talked Wing out of either shooting or arresting the Meres but Wing still felt the need to do more than just talk.

Sam just wanted to get Dean back in the water and get away from these crazy people. Slowly they were hammering out a way forward. Bobby wanted information and lore; Wing wanted retribution or a guarantee that there would be no more raids. The Meres just wanted to go home

Finally an agreement was emerging. Sam could not promise that he could stop Ashur from raiding as raiding was part of their way of life but he did commit to staying out of Wing's territory. Wing agreed to go back to Captain Prost and try to get the Channel Islands under Wing's control. There had never been an officer assigned to the islands and that would get Wing to stay in the force but put him out in the ocean, well out of the way of Chief Ryder. He thought that would work. At least he was willing to try.

The Ocean aspects of the Islands would still be Mere territory. Wing would watch over the human side such as poachers and unwelcome visitors. He knew he would have to work with the Park Rangers about Permits but it actually sounded like a good idea. The Park Service had been stressed, like everyone else, over budget cuts and would most likely welcome a permanently assigned policeman to help out.

Bobby and the Meres would figure out a way to meet either on Santa Rose or on San Miguel to talk over the long history of the Mere world. Dean was looking forward to showing off his cave to the older man. Grover would act as everyone's go between, providing a loose communications center for the plan.

Grover was also going to act as the point man for the Sea Lounge, making sure that those idiots, Paul and Jason, got trained right. He was supposed to come up with a way to make sure The Old Man Who Talked to Chairs was properly cared for, not left out in the lonely dark any more.

They all realized that they were being organized by Bobby Singer but it was fine. Bobby had a way of putting people's feet back on the ground and getting the world to make sense again.

As the moon rose high in the night sky Sam decided that it was past time for them to get back in the water. This would be the first test of the bond of trust between the humans and the Meres. They agreed to meet on the tip of Santa Rosa in five days' time to see how the plan was working.

Gabriel had the most to accomplish but Bobby wasn't going to stay in California forever. He needed to get back to South Dakota. He wanted to get as much information down in writing as he could and he also was planning a surprise for Sam. He knew there were such things as solar powered cell phones and he wanted to get one for Sam to use. That way Bobby could continue to pick Sam's brain as he went on getting as much Mere lore preserved in his library as possible. It would be the only known source of such lore to exist since the Library in Alexandra burned.

This whole agreement had to be kept secret. It was to be concealed from the other humans on the shore and, more importantly, from the Meres in the water.

If the Queen found out that Marduk and Ashur were making agreements and telling secrets to the humans, the consequences could be severe. She could order anything from maiming to death for the boys and she could summon enough Black Maids to accomplish her orders. The only place that the boys could flee would be on to the land and even then there would still be the possibility of pursuit.

At almost precisely midnight Gabriel drove everyone down to a secluded section of the Malibu shore. If there was anyone who knew the shoreline in detail it was Gabriel. He was beginning to feel proprietary about it and was looking forward to prying his way around the Channel Islands, learning all their secrets.

It had occurred to him that working with the Meres in the water there would be almost nothing that happened in the area that he wouldn't know about. Gun running and other smuggling operations were about to dry up. California's Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary was going to become pristine in more than one way. He listed that idea as yet another point to discuss with Captain Prost. Of course, he would not disclose who his informants were going to be. He'd let Prost assume it would be fishermen.

Gabriel drove past The Sea Lounge to drop off Grover and allow the Meres to pick up their bags. They followed a barely there trail that had been scraped out by surfers down close to the breakers and all got out of the car.

The Meres got naked and Sam flung the bags over his shoulder. Holding on to Dean's hand they ran towards the waves while Gabriel and Bobby watched the new additions to their world views leap over the curling surf and dive into deep water. A couple of silvery tails flashed up in the moon light and the Meres were gone. There were no telltale ripples on the heaving face of the ocean.

The two men went back to the car and left the Meres in possession of their ancient territory.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Night swimming was a different world. The moon's light changed the colors below the surface and an unknown land appeared. Fish flashed into sight and disappeared in a blink. The feeling of something approaching and hiding just out of sight sent the Meres' senses on overload. It was the night hunters that could lay traps for the unwary. Pressure changes and scents carried on the water were all they had to stay safe.

The Meres were much larger than many of the normal inhabitants of the night waters. They were careful to pass as silently as possible but there was always the taste of mystery in the water and they were careful to stay in touch with each other. Since the swim would be long and slow at this rate they took turns spelling each other. Marduk would swim and stay on alert while Ashur clung to his back. After a while they changed places and cleaved the waters during the early night hours, moving ever closer to home. They napped like the dolphins, half asleep and half on alert.

The dolphins were the masters of moving while sleeping. Their divided brains allowed sleeping and surfacing to breathe to happen simultaneously, a gift of millions of years of evolution. Whales did not attempt to move alone while sleeping. They hung vertically in the water and breathed once an hour or they swam tucked at the side of a pod mate who alerted them when it was time to breathe.

The Meres bodies allowed them to switch from breathing air to breathing water at any time through the power of their transformation. They could stay either one thing or another at will.

The island of San Miguel came into view as the sun rose over the coastal mountains. Ashur was asleep on Marduk's back but when Marduk spotted an intruder lurking near the cave entrance his sudden stop jolted Ashur awake. Arms joined the Meres floated silently in the water coming closer and closer to their visitor.

The intruder had long dark hair floating in the water and Marduk recognized a Black Maid, one of the Queens's favored ones. When she turned Marduk recognized Galene, the Nereide who had visited them previously.

Marduk inclined his head. With a Queen in charge of the Mere Kingdom the Black Maids wee in ascent and obeisance was expected from all Meres, even males and even Sons of Nammu. Marduk knew the value of peace and he had no desire to start a pissing contest with one of the Queen's guards.

"Galene," he murmured. "I did not expect so early a return, My Lady." He held Ashur back as the Syrian was sure to find the Maid insulting. Syrians were old and almost feral at times. It wasn't wise to prick at them. Marduk hoped Galene realized that.

She smiled and exposed her teeth in a dominance display. "Thanks you, Marduk," she replied. "I appreciate your courtesy. Thank you also for controlling your pet" she said, glancing at Ashur.

"What can I do for you, Galene?" Marduk asked.

"You are already doing it, my pretty," she replied. "I spoke so highly of your beauty that my friends accused me of exaggeration. I have brought a few to see for themselves." She waved a hand.

There were immediately at least four more Black Maids drifting in the water. All of them were ogling the boys as if weighing them by the pound. Marduk could feel Ashur flaring behind him and just was able to prevent himself from turning around to see what kind of display the Syrian was using. It could be a warning or the silly fish could be flirting. Sometimes Marduk just wanted to take Ashur to task.

When the Maids begin to giggle Marduk had his answer. Reaching around he pulled Ashur in front and locked his hands around the smaller Mere's waist.

Galene smiled. "Thank you, boys." She began to wrap her hair around her fingers. "I don't suppose you would like to hand out a few free samples in advance of the Festival, would you?"

Of course Ashur began to flex and ripple his flukes. Marduk kneed his mate in the butt and put a stop to that. "We'll see you at Festival, Galene." Marduk replied. "Until then we are keeping ourselves to ourselves. Now please excuse us. It has been a long night and we were swimming most of the time."

He approached the Maid and she moved away from the tunnel entrance. As he swam past with Ashur firmly in control she reached out and stroked his hip in passing.

"It's just too bad, Babylonian. If you weren't so strict we all could have had a lot of fun."

Marduk glanced down at her hand on his hip and looked into her eyes. "It is still a month to Festival, Lady. We will see you then."

As they swam up the tunnel Marduk could hear the Black Maids chittering and laughing as they moved away. He knew at this rate there would simply be no way that he and Ashur cold skip the Festival this year.


	14. Chapter 14- Another World

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 14**

**Another World**

**From Chapter 13**

_Of course Ashur began to flex and ripple his flukes. Marduk kneed his mate in the butt and put a stop to that. "We'll see you at Festival, Galene." Marduk replied. "Until then we are keeping ourselves to ourselves. Now please excuse us. It has been a long night and we were swimming most of the time." _

_He approached the Maid and she moved away from the tunnel entrance. As he swam past with Ashur firmly in control she reached out and stroked his hip in passing. _

"_It's just too bad, Babylonian. If you weren't so strict we all could have had a lot of fun."_

_Marduk glanced down at her hand on his hip and looked into her eyes. "It is still a month to Festival, Lady. We will see you then."_

_As they swam up the tunnel Marduk could hear the Black Maids chittering and laughing as they moved away. He knew at this rate there would simply be no way that he and Ashur could skip the Festival this year._

**Chapter 14**

Once inside their sea cave Marduk pulled himself up from the water onto the rock surround, the sea water running down his body back into the pool. His exit had created a fountain of water which was now all over the floor of the cave. Reaching a hand down to his brother he pulled Ashur up to sit beside him.

Ashur sat coyly flipping his tail in and out of the water, flashing a more subdued mating pattern. Marduk smiled. "You really are impossible, brother," he laughed. "I'm not complimented by coming in second to a pod of Black Maids."

"Grow legs and grow up," Marduk ordered Ashur. The Babylonian stood up on his own legs and picked up their bag. At the table he emptied out their clothes and the cell phone that Bobby Singer had given them. Looking around Marduk found a golden hooked clasp on the end of a necklace embedded in the wall and hung the cell phone from the protrusion.

Ashur stood next to his naked brother. "Now you have to admit, that looks rather strange," the smaller Mere commented looking at the bit of technology hanging on their golden wall. "At this rate we should perhaps get a television and a micro wave and go all the way human."

"No, I don't think so." Marduk played along. "I'm thinking a more medieval theme for the place. I'll get you a collar and a chastity belt." He smacked Ashur's bare ass and turned away. "Come on. I'm hungry. Let's eat and then go lay down."

The Sons of Nammu were closer to the dry land world than the Greek Meres. A lot of the deep water Meres had never set foot on dry land or mingled with humans. Marduk had suspicions about some of the cults that formed in the darkest waters where no sunlight ever penetrated. He had heard rumors about the disposal of drown sailors' bodies that he refused to believe

Ashur also knew the stories and had listened to grim tales of the darker side of the Mere world but Ashur was a gentle soul in spite of the history of Syrian barbarism and could forgive a lot of sins if he liked the sinner. The two of them had been together for centuries and made a virtue of isolation. The Mere Queen was now not only demanding the continuity of their ancient bloodline. She had a personal interest in tasting Ashur's type of innocence and Marduk was well aware of her fascination with his brother.

As they sat at their table eating a dinner of boiled shellfish and kelp Marduk asked "Ashur, what do think of these visits from the Black Meres? Don't you think they are increasingly common? They haven't paid attention to us in years and then it seems there's one hanging around our door every time we come home."

Ashur shrugged. "The Queen wants us at Festival this year. They're just making sure we intend to go. I don't mind. I like a good party."

Marduk snorted, "Brother, you'd party with Manatees if you thought there was a possibility you'd get laid."

"Hey," Ashur answered back, insulted. "You should try it some time. They can do incredible things with those long lips they have."

Marduk dropped his scallop and stared at his brother. "Tell me you didn't do that. You are impossible."

Ashur smiled. "Marduk, you need to experiment more. Sometimes I think you wouldn't have any fun if it wasn't for me."

"Now, look," Marduk huffed. "What I was trying to say is that I don't think these Maids are spending two days swimming here from their home in Deep Water to just trade insults and grope me then leave. I think they may have set up an outpost near here. I just can't imagine why, It might be a good idea to set up a guard here in the pool to keep them out of our cave."

Now Ashur took an interest. "You think they might want to raid my treasure? That's not right. Meres doesn't rob other Meres."

"Even so," Marduk answered, tending to his food again. "It wouldn't hurt to get ourselves a cephalopod to guard the door. They have excellent vision and high intelligence. Cephalopods propel themselves with a water jet and lay down "smoke screens" with ink. The Maids hate them. We could train an octopus or a squid. They're easily bribed and also easily trained."

"Fine," Ashur agreed. "You know they don't like it so close to the coast through. We would have to go out and find one or, more likely, a family group. Then we would have to feed them and everything."

"I think we should go out and tale a look around anyway," Marduk replied. "If the Maids have built themselves an outpost I want to know where it is. I promised Mr. Singer I would meet with him here before he goes back to his home but after that we should go on patrol."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The next morning Marduk lay in the grass sunbathing. He was fully exposed and his tail was warming in the sun. He had the cell phone with him and the device was soaking up energy just like the Mere. He had called Bobby Singer earlier and was now simply waiting for the sound of an approaching boat. The Mere was comfortable and relaxed. Near one hand was one of the hidden skylights in the roof of their cave.

Off in the waves he was watching Ashur play porpoise. Ashur was monitoring the cave entrance and watching for the boat at the same time. His sleek head popped in and out of the water as he played in the waves. When his head was down his ass was up and he was leaving a wake of sparkling bubbles behind. The distant sound of an engine called both Meres to attention.

As Bobby's boat approached with Grover handling the outboard Ashur popped up beside them and led the way in between the rocks to a shallow hidden cove. Grover stayed with the boat, fascinated with Ashur's antics while Bobby climbed the barely visible narrow game trail up to the top of the island. Marduk snickered when he saw his brother present Grover with a fresh caught fish. It was so fresh it was still struggling when Ashur flopped it into the bottom of Grover's boat.

Marduk transformed to Sam and put on some pants he had brought with him. He and Bobby spent the morning talking of the old legends of the Meres. Bobby asked for details of how the Mere came to be a people and learned of the flight of Nammu's children into the water. They had been hunted on land as abominations and for special sacrifices to the other ancient gods. Kings feared them and desired them at the same time. A family at a time they turned to the oceans and hid away from the tormentors.

Sam spoke of Nammu's first couplings with the dry land Gods, Ashur and Marduk and others in different centuries and from different cultures. They traced the loss or absorption of the oldest Gods into pantheons like that of the Greeks and how Nammu faded and Thesis arose. Thesis was leader of the Nereids and now presided over the spawning of life in the sea but treasured the secrets of Nammu.

Thesis, who gave birth to Achilles, still ruled and the Children of Nammu grew rare and certain blood lines died out until the brothers of this coastal territory were rare and special creatures. They were the last reservoirs of Nammu's magic and their blood line was coveted by the Black Queen.

Bobby wanted to know specific details of Nammu's magic but Sam hesitated. The secret of transmogrification was closely guarded and he had no desire to pass it on to the humans. Sam thought that the secret was possibly useless to humans unless there was a trace of the older Gods' bloodlines present. Bobby wanted to try a transmogrification or just try to keep the knowledge alive before it passed from the reach of humans altogether. He scribbled away all morning, winnowing Sam's words for clues.

The sun was getting high and Sam's spot on the top of the cliff was getting uncomfortably warm. Bobby Singer would go on all day, the Mere thought. He and Ashur had some things to do. He would have to convince Mr. Singer to get his teeth out of his leg and go home.

Bobby took a deep breath and for just a moment there was a pause in the steady flow of questions and answers. Sam stood up and looked out over the ocean, searching for Ashur. Grover was still below, beached in the cove. He appeared to be taking a nap. The fish Ashur had given the man was wrapped in kelp and lay in the bottom of the boat. Ashur was nowhere in sight.

Sam stretched and twisted his torso, trying to get the kinks out. He anxiously searched the surface of the waves looking for a silver flash.

"Mr. Singer," he said. "This has been interesting and I wouldn't mind continuing our discussion however, I need to leave now. Ashur and I had plans for today and now I can't see him."

Bobby also stood up and looked out over the water. "I get the feeling that sometimes your partner can be a bit of a handful." Bobby said and turned to look at Sam.

"Yes, he can be." Sam replied. "You might want to sit down with him before you go home and discuss his people. The Syrians are an older people than the Babylonians and their world was younger and wilder. They were connected to the land more intimately than mine. Their magic has deep roots."

Just then Sam spotted Ashur's head breaking the surface between San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands and the Mere stripped his pants off, getting ready to dive. Bobby was a little shocked but when Sam smiled and ran for the drop off if was very clear that interview time was over.

Sam started to transform in the air and when he hit the water he sank a dozen feet down then with a heave of his tail rose to the top of the water. At the surface he could clearly hear good tempered laughter from Ashur. He immediately struck out to join the other Mere.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The pair decided to search out some squid and try to convince the animals to move closer to the tunnel entrance. Squid could be very aggressive and being more highly intelligent than most other sea creatures were treated with as much respect by the Mere as whales and dolphins however the squid could be much more dangerous than the intelligent mammals. As Marduk had commented, they could be bribed to be faithful to their home territory but they would never be loyal to the Meres. It was a thin and dangerous line to walk.

Marduk would never even think of trying such a thing with the Humboldt squid, vicious, cruel masters of the dark artic seas. The coastal squid were less aggressive so that was their best bet. Ashur was eager to put a guard over his treasures and tugged Marduk along on the hunt. While searching for squid they also were aware that somewhere nearby they suspected Black Maids were making a permanent base

The scent of the Maids still left a slight trace in the water and the two of them followed the fading trail as long as it paralleled their hunt for the squid. Of course what they were not looking for they found first. Coming around an outcropping about two miles out from San Miguel they found a small canyon with signs of Mere habitation. Corals had been broken and burrowed. Bioluminescent fish were tethered to doorways, creating a warren of glowing cave entrances. The whole camp could be disguised in a few moments to appear to be a natural untouched site but the boys come upon it while the lights were on and the Black Maids were at their ease.

The canyon cast a glow over the landscape. Even in the weak light Marduk could see a number of typical Black Maid customs that he hated. The Maids and their Queen took their Rulers of the Oceans titles seriously. All other creatures were to be used as they pleased. Marduk saw a number of penned dolphins, often used by the Maids as pack animals. The mammals were penned high on the edge of the canyon, well within reach of the surface for breathing but miserable in the loss of their freedom.

The tethered fish used as lights were not cared for. As they died they were replaced like the humans replaced light bulbs. The Maid's light bulbs, however, could feel pain. These were instances of careless cruelty. The Maids never gave it a thought. Ashur was deeply disturbed by these things and Marduk held the Syrian's arm. Ashur was ready to go release the dolphins. Marduk was concerned about whether the Maids would attack them and if the dolphins had been raised in captivity the creatures would not even know what to do with freedom. They would follow Ashur home.

Marduk was more concerned by why this camp was here at all. This place was barely within rage of the Queen's territory around Deep Water and technically well within Marduk and Ashur's six mile limit around the Channel Islands. No wonder there were Black Maids hanging around the Mere's tunnel door. He and Ashur were like treats dangled in front of these females, just out of reach but not that far away.

This camp was too close to the human's trade routes. It was also too close to the gray whales migration paths. The Queen was pressing her realm's boundaries too far. She was going to force the rest of the oceans' creatures to defend themselves. Thousands upon thousands of years of peace were threatened.

He and Ashur were definitely going to Festival now. It might be necessary to form alliances against this Queen's ambitions.


	15. Chapter 15 - Deep Water World

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 15**

**Deep Water World**

**From Chapter 14**

_Marduk was more concerned by why this camp was here at all. This place was barely within rage of the Queen's territory around Deep Water and technically well within Marduk and Ashur's six mile limit around the Channel Islands. No wonder there were Black Maids hanging around the Mere's tunnel door. He and Ashur were like treats dangled in front of these females, just out of reach but not that far away._

_This camp was too close to the human's trade routes. It was also too close to the gray whales migration paths. The Queen was pressing her realm's boundaries too far. She was going to force the rest of the oceans' creatures to defend themselves. Thousands upon thousands of years of peace were threatened._

_He and Ashur were definitely going to Festival now. It might be necessary to form alliances against this Queen's ambitions._

**Chapter 15**

Marduk and Ashur bobbed with the current at the entrance to their sea cave. They had lured a family of squid to the coral beds outside their entrance and were attempting to get the intelligent but hostile creatures to recognize them as friends.

Squid skin is covered in chromatophores which enable the squid to change color to suit its surroundings, making it practically invisible at times. The underside is also almost always lighter than the topside, to provide camouflage from both prey and predator above and below eye level. Squid eyes don't flex like human eyes. The hard lens actually moves about to focus. They have eights tentacles, two of which are modified to hold on during sex and a hard beak designed for the ripping and tearing of flesh. All in all they are capable of being the most terrifying of predators. They are fast, clever, relentless and are born with bad attitudes.

They have three green hearts and even so nowhere is there any place for mercy. The only way to keep the peace is bribery. Marduk and Ashur were feeding their pack of underwater guard dogs chucks of fish. At the moment the brothers were safe however they made very sure to keep away from the tentacles and their suckers. From now on anyone showing up at the brothers' tunnel entrance had better bring tribute or they'd end up as squid food.

After making sure that each squid received a treat Ashur took the food bag back into the tunnel and tucked it away where no noisy squid could find it and that involved a closed container with a lock. The squid's tentacles could hold thrashing prey, and rip apart the living bodies but they were also capable of the most delicate of touches. Ashur thought he wouldn't be surprised if the cephalopods figured out how to pick locks.

Marduk kept his eyes on the squid but was also listening to the sound of a boat motor getting closer and closer. When Ashur returned they both headed up to the surface. They were not expecting any visitors so caution was called for.

The boat stopped almost directly overhead and someone slapped the water's surface with something hard. A man's voice cried out their names but the distortion caused by the water prevented them from telling who was calling. Carefully Marduk poked his head up out of the water to find Detective Wing sitting in a small boat slapping the water with an oar and being generally annoying.

"There you are fish-boy." Gabriel grinned. "I've got a job for your and your boy-toy. Heads up."

Marduk contemplated the consequences of dumping the man in the water and introducing him to the sea bed. He'd done it before and was willing to give it another try but he knew he'd never hear the end of it from Bobby Singer. They had a currently existing truce and the merman didn't need to break in yet another Hunter so Marduk held on to his temper.

"What do you want from us, Wing?" Marduk asked just as Ashur poked his head up under his lover's arm.

Wing had cut a deal with Captain Prost and he was now officially stationed on Santa Rosa, out of the hair of the Malibu station and far from Chief Ryder daily rounds. While the Park Service considered the Channel Islands to be the detective's territory and welcomed the extra help, Bobby Singer's Hunter network regarded the Southern California Coast line to be Wing's responsibility.

Bobby and Gabe had a pact going. Gabe had the right to call upon local Hunters to look into suspicious local problems and he was also expected to keep the Hunters away from the Mere's sphere of influence The Hunters supplied Wing with information he could obtain no other way. This deal could possible save Wing's career. In return Wing did all he could to keep the locals out of the Hunter business and provided a safe harbor and house on Santa Rosa for Hunters to use

Gabe and Marduk didn't like each other but both of them had personal codes of honor that involved keeping their promises. In addition neither one wanted to be the immediate reason that Bobby Singer would have to turn around and come back to the West Coast. Mr. Singer's tongue was best appreciated at a distance and Sioux Falls was just about a perfect distance away.

"I had my eye on a couple of possible coral poachers and when I went out yesterday to arrest them with the contraband they and their boat had disappeared. I know they didn't pass on either side of Santa Rosa so they are either out on the high seas or under the water. I'd appreciate it if you two would go take a look." Gabriel asked.

When Gabriel told the Meres the coordinates of the last sighting of the suspected poachers Marduk immediately became concerned. The location was uncomfortably close to the Black Maids' camp. If these men had dived accidently on the camp the Black Maids would take care of the Peeping Toms quickly and quietly. Marduk would be surprised to find the bodies. Perhaps the boat would be allowed to re-appear in some unexpected spot but that would be the only clue allowed as to the men's fate.

Marduk nuzzled Ashur's ear. "Very well," Marduk said to Gabriel. "We'll go look for your poachers. Where do you want to meet up later? We have to do this now, Ashur and I have plans."

Gabriel snorted. "I'll bet you do. " The Detective pointed out a small cove on Santa Rosa and they agree to meet there at sunset.

Marduk was getting that urge to drown Gabriel again but he controlled his temper. Taking Ashur's hand he submerged to get away from Gabriel's smirking face. He visualized the man floating face down in the ocean and felt better.

The two Meres turned again to the Black Maids' camp. After arriving they split up and cautiously circled the site, keeping as hidden as they possibly could. At one point Marduk joined a group of cruising sharks. The Mere and the sharks were about the same size and a casual glance would most likely overlook the odd man out in the pod.

When they met up on the far western edge of their circle Ashur indicated that he had found something. Marduk followed his partner's glittering tail along to a pile of out of place coral deposited on the top of a ridge. The coral was broken and different species were jumbled together. Firmly fasten with a long lead a small boat swung in the current. The boat hung suspended just about six feet down from the surface, moving like a balloon in a breeze.

Scattered about on the sea floor were pieces of equipment and other random items that might be found on the floor of a small boat like the tethered craft. To Marduk it all spoke of an attack, a capsizing, but he wondered; where were the men?

He and Ashur settled in to wait on a rocky ledge overlooking the Maid's camp and about an hour later saw some Black Maids tying man-shaped bundles on the backs of a couple of the captive dolphins. A group of the Maids then moved out with the animals and bundles in tow, heading west in the direction of their home, Deep Water.

Marduk called to mind several old and unpleasant rumors he had heard when he and Ashur had lived in Deep Water under the old King. There had been tales of uses for the bodies of drown sailors. The tales were ancient and went back to the superstitious beginnings of the Mere world. He remembered the story of the bone bead curse. Beads made from the ground bones of murdered men could be dropped in food and bone sickness would follow. This particular curse had made it back up out of the water world to take root on certain Caribbean islands. Human practitioners of magic also learn to use the bone beads for evil.

This was a use for only one part of a body. The Hand of Glory might flame in the human world but its touch was learned on the shores of the Mediterranean long before the Meres went permanently into the water. Such ghastly torches had been found inside the pyramids, tools of the tomb robbers' art and common stock in a Mere witch's inventory.

As the mermen watched the caravan leave for Deep Water Ashur curled into Marduk's side, looking for warmth. Marduk clutched at Ashur for comfort. Neither spoke but both remembered. If this kind of evil was taking root in the Mere world again it was more than past time for the Queen and her cadres to be exposed. It appeared that Deep Water had turned into a cauldron of witches.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Sunset found Gabriel Wing sitting on the narrow beach of a little cove on Santa Rosa's western edge tossing pebbles into the surf. As the sun kissed the ocean and cast a yellow road over to the water from the distant horizon two Mere heads appeared just beyond the surf line. Ashur and Marduk swam up to Gabriel's boat and pulled their bodies over individual thwarts. Both trailed their tales in the water. Catching the sun's last rays on their flashing scales they played with the light; tossing reflections into the waves.

Gabriel stood and brushed the sand from his legs. "Did you find anything?" he asked.

Marduk pensively swept his tail through the water. "Yes, we did. Your poachers are dead. Their boat will most likely appear somewhere far from here. It could even show up on the mainland coast. You will never find their bodies."

"Why is that?" Gabriel asked softly, aware of a chill invading the evening's warmth.

Marduk looked into Gabriel's eyes. "If there are those that loved or valued either of those men tell them that the bodies are simply lost at sea. It is best that no one knows what happened to the bodies. You do not want to know and I wish we didn't. Let it go, Detective. There is no purpose served in searching for the remains. The ocean has made them its prey and it will hold them close forever."

"Whoa," Gabriel responded. "That was spooky and not very useful. You want to explain further? Dud the bodies get eaten or something?"

Marduk slipped into the water and turned away. "I said let it go."

Ashur also slid off the boat and into the water, following the Babylonian. He looked back at Gabriel standing in the twilight.

"Marduk is right, you know." Ashur said to Gabriel. "You don't want to know. Take his advice and let it go. Comfort the bereaved. If there are none left behind to grieve, count yourself lucky and try to forget. The way is shut. It belongs to the dead."

Gabriel realized, now more than ever, even if these creatures once were part of humanity that day was long gone. They had the faces of men but they were just as alien as anything else that lived under the water.


	16. Chapter 16 -War Plans

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 16**

**War Plans**

**From Chapter 15**

_Whoa," Gabriel responded. "That was spooky and not very useful. You want to explain further? Dud the bodies get eaten or something?"_

_Marduk slipped into the water and turned away. "I said let it go."_

_Ashur also slid off the boat and into the water, following the Babylonian. He looked back at Gabriel standing in the twilight. _

"_Marduk is right, you know." Ashur said to Gabriel. "You don't want to know. Take his advice and let it go. Comfort the bereaved. If there are none left behind to grieve, count yourself lucky and try to forget. The way is shut. It belongs to the dead."_

_Gabriel realized, now more than ever, even if these creatures once were part of humanity that day was long gone. They had the faces of men but they were just as alien as anything else that lived under the water. _

**Chapter 16**

Sam sat at the table in the sea cave. The cell phone hung in front of his face, a symbol of his attachment to the human world. His dreams of the future, of walking the dry land with men and learning their laws and ways; all were embodied in that small piece of human ingenuity. Ashur sat at the edge of the nearby pool, trailing his tail in the water and watching his lover. Sam hadn't spoken in hours.

"What's wrong my love?" Ashur asked. He let himself flop into their private hidden lagoon, raising a fountain of sea water that splashed on to the cave floor and ran to pool under Sam's naked feet. At the touch of the cold water Sam flinched and raised his head. He stared at Ashur with his head cocked to the side.

"You are Mere," he said.

Ashur laughed. "All these quiet hours and that's what you come up with?" He threw himself on his back and moved around the pool. "Do I need to mention that you are also Mere, you big idiot?"

Sam took down the cell phone and turned it over in a kind of caress before sighing and hanging it back on the wall.

"Maybe every now and then I need to be reminded." Sam stood, took a couple of long smooth strides and dove into the water with hardly a slash. When he broke the surface he was Marduk again.

The larger Mere circled his brother then wound around Ashur's body in a lose embrace. "When did we give up our freedoms and rights to the Queen? I don't remember agreeing to her encroachments or her orders." Marduk slapped the water's surface with his tale. The noise echoed through the cave like the snap of a whip.

Ashur snuggled deeper into his brother's embrace. "We didn't object when she seized the throne." Ashur murmured.

Marduk huffed. "It didn't seem important at the time. We have lived through the reigns of a number of rulers and no one ever bothered us before. Politics hold no real appeal for me."

"I don't much care for that stuff either," Ashur shrugged. "I guess we should have been paying more attention to Deep Water."

"Well now Deep Water has invaded our territory. They set up a camp without even bothering to let us know let alone ask permission. The Queen wants us to attend Festival as favored breeding stock. I am offended." Marduk twisted away from Ashur and hauled himself up on the rocky ledge. Ashur swam over and caressed the Babylonian's tale in an effort to sooth Marduk's temper.

"What do you want to do about it, Marduk?" Ashur clicked and chittered, concerned at his lover's anger.

Marduk scanned the cave. "First of all, what by Asherah did we do with our swords? I haven't seen them or the shoulder scabbards for a while."

Ashur pulled his body up next to Marduk. "That's my fault," he answered. "They are lovely things and I hung them on the bedroom walls; they sort of blend into the other treasures there."

"Gods, Ashur!" Marduk responded angrily. "They are weapons not petty baubles for you to play with. Go get them down. Clean them up and sharpen them. I'm in a mood to visit the Lady Galene and let her know she's not welcome as a neighbor."

Ashur hesitated. "You know that I'll follow you anywhere brother but are you sure we're going to go out and take on the Black Queen's army on our own? I know we're good but it's been a long time since we went to war. "

Marduk looped a long arm over Ashur's shoulders, pulled him close and kissed him gently.

"Don't worry my love." Marduk answered. "You gather our weapons and I will see to it that we will not fight alone." The Babylonian warrior slipped under the water while Ashur grew legs and went to hunt up their scattered arms.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Marduk was going to be gone for a while and Dean amused himself getting their weapons back into shape. The shoulder scabbards took a little work as he had managed to interweave the straps with some pearl strands and was using them in the kitchen to hold spices He was never, ever going to tell Marduk that he had done that.

The swords were easy to take down and he took great care sharpening the fine old Damascus steel blades to mirror brightness. Their Damascus steel swords were characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. Such blades were known in legend to be tough, resistant to shattering and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge. Ashur loved the feel of his sword and traced the figures on the blade with delicate fingers.

He found the daggers for the front sheathes of the scabbards, made of glowing Narwhal ivory, sacred and blessed by Nammu. The daggers killed only evil, leaving innocence untouched. Anything wounded by such a dagger would die immediately or eventually as the magic worked its way through the body. A Narwhal dagger wound was inevitable fatal to those tainted by evil. Only the Children of Nammu could touch the weapons and the Black Queen thought that she had ordered the destruction of all of them.

Ashur smiled. If Marduk remained determine the Queen could be in for a big surprise. Witches hated and feared the Daggers of Nammu. It was said such a dagger could even wound the Goddess Thetis. If she had allowed her Nereids to take up the practice of witchcraft again Ashur thought she deserved whatever came to her.

Ashur never questioned Marduk's decisions. Marduk was the thinker, the planner of the pair. Ashur was pure warrior. It had been centuries since his warrior soul had tasted battle and he hummed as he worked.

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Dean went to bed alone that night. It was odd. He couldn't remember the last time Sam had left him home by himself. He had laid the weapons out on the table to Sam to check. He had even found their wrist gauntlets with the sharp little obsidian knives strapped on. When Meres went to war it was usually knife work.

Projectile weapons were difficult for individuals to handle. Anything short of a torpedo tended to be deflected by the weight of the water. Spear guns were scary and dangerous and those oh so human weapons were hard to find in the Mere world. Too often in a close quarter fight spear guns tended to wound friends as often as enemies.

Earlier in the evening Dean had heard odd noises from the pool. He had splashed in as Ashur and investigated. Standing at the end of the tunnel entrance he had caught sight of just how effective the squid guards could be. He couldn't see exactly which of the Black Maids had come by because the squid went after her and kept chasing until both prey and predator were out of sight.

He was now just as annoyed as Marduk. An uninvited night visitor signaled a level of arrogance that the Assyrian found insulting. He turned back into the tunnel, leaving the squid on patrol. Climbing into his bed he wished that Marduk had returned but knew that his brother could take care of himself. Even so he kept hoping to hear the water splashing in the pool and drifted off to sleep still waiting.

As the early morning light poured through their skylight Dean awoke to the longed for sound of splashing. He sat up and watched Marduk lift out of the water and transform to Sam. Sam reached down and pulled up a net bag which Dean was sure held their breakfast. Rolling out of bed he ran his fingers through his hair and went to join his brother.

"I didn't expect you to be gone all night." Dean yawned. "Long trip?"

Sam ran a hand down Dean's sleep warmed back and leaned into a welcome back kiss. "Not that far away but I spent a good part of the night talking to Go-Don-Kin the newest gray whale pod leader. "

"What did he have to say?" Dean asked as he helped unload the net bag of oysters and shrimp.

"The whales have been angry at the Queen's incursions on their migratory routes for a very long time now but you know how long it takes a whale to get mad. They are going to take my words under consideration." Sam answered. He pulled out a chair and sat down. He looked tired but still on edge.

"If Go-Don can get some agreement between pods I hope we'll soon see a few of the younger bull whales joining us in a raid on Galene's camp and even on Deep Water. We just have to wait. Like I said, the whales are slow and careful. It takes them forever to discuss something and agree to take action. Go-Don couldn't remember a time of war in all his years. They have been the victims of violence long enough that they don't like to inflict it on others."

Marduk twisted uncomfortably. "I also spoke to one of the Clan Mothers of a community of deep water Orcas. She is interested in taking the Witch Queen down. The Meres have been harassing the Orcas and denying them access to their mid ocean feeding grounds. She's sure that the other Community members will gladly join in on an attack. You know what efficient Killers the Orcas can be."

Dean shook his head. "The Killer whales make me nervous. They are always looking for something to kill and If they smell blood in the water they are likely to go into frenzy. Will they be able to tell us from our enemies? Can we control who they kill?"

"I know. You're right to worry." Sam replied. "But you have to admit if we show up with a guard of Orcas overwhelming Galene's camp will be easy. We have to get the Clan mother to agree that their warriors will not attack me or you and that they will stay away from the gray whales. If I can get the Maids to surrender to us they should be safe. I believe that the Orcas will listen to the Mother. She is going to lead her pod. Another problem might be the fate of the penned and enslaved dolphins. The Orcas may not even recognize such creatures as their cousins. "

"If we can take out Galene I'm hoping a good portion of the Maids will then be free to ask for our protection and will join with us. Not only will we own the camp, it could be stocked with our own soldiers. We'll just have to see who beside Galene takes up against us I don't really want to shed blood if we don't have to."

Sam waved a warning finger in Dean's face. "You will have to hold on to your temper too. I need Ashur under control as much as the Killers. This is not Mesopotamia and it is not to turn into a killing field. Our object is to free not only the subjugated Maids but the other creatures that suffer under the Witch Queen. Casual murder will do more harm than good so keep Ashur the Warrior under control."


	17. Chapter 17 - Ocean Warriors

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 17**

**Ocean Warriors**

**A/N: **I have made major revisions to chapter 16 because I made a big mistake. Killer whales aren't whales, they are dolphins. They are even known to attack and kill gray whales. If you are following the details in this story you might want to go back and read chapter 16 again.

**From Chapter 16**

_Dean shook his head. "The Killer whales make me nervous. They are always looking for something to kill and If they smell blood in the water they are likely to go into a frenzy. Will they be able to tell us from our enemies? Can we control who they kill?"_

"_I know. You're right to worry." Sam replied. "But you have to admit if we show up with a guard of Orcas overwhelming Galene's camp will be easy. We have to get the Clan mother to agree that their warriors will not attack me or you and that they will stay away from the gray whales. If I can get the Maids to surrender to us they should be safe. I believe that the Orcas will listen to the Mother. She is going to lead her pod. Another problem might be the fate of the penned and enslaved dolphins. The Orcas may not even recognize such creatures as their cousins. "_

"_If we can take out Galene I'm hoping a good portion of the Maids will then be free to ask for our protection and will join with us. Not only will we own the camp, it could be stocked with our own soldiers. We'll just have to see who beside Galene takes up against us. I don't really want to shed blood if we don't have to."_

_Sam waved a warning finger in Dean's face. "You will have to hold on to your temper too. I need Ashur under control as much as the Killers. This is not Mesopotamia and it is not to turn into a killing field. Our object is to free not only the subjugated Maids but the other creatures that suffer under the Witch Queen. Casual murder will do more harm than good so keep Ashur the Warrior under control."_

**Chapter 17**

It was just barely light the next morning when the sounds of whale song and sharp whistling broke sleep's curtain and roused the Mere brothers from their dreams.

Sam sat up suddenly and cocked his head to one side, attempting to separate the noises into some kind of intelligible speech. "Oh crap!" He shouted, threw his covers away and leaped for the pool. His body twisted in the air and he hit the water with an urgent splash.

Slower to wake Dean sat up, scratched his ear, ruffled fingers through his hair and watched this far too energetic start to his morning. The muted sounds of conflict finally penetrated his sleep drugged brain and he scrambled to follow his brother into the cold water. The transition from a warm soft bed to cold ocean brine was a hell of a wakeup call.

At the end of the entrance tunnel he found a scene of thrashing Orcas and ink spraying squid. In the middle of the fight Marduk stood waving his arms and trying to separate the combatants. Ashur leaped into the fray, attempting to keep a completely focused Orca from biting the tentacles off a cornered squid. Squid ink was making it difficult to see exactly who was biting who.

A large Orca came up behind the Orca who had the squid cornered and bit down on the attacker's dorsal fin. That distracted the Killer Whale from his target and Ashur could hear sub vocalizations rumbling through the stained waters. Finally things began to calm down. Marduk laid a hand carefully on the rescuer's back and turned to Asher.

"Ashur," the Babylonian said formally. "This is Clan Mother Heridia. She has brought her pod to help us break up the Black Maids' camp."

Ashur nodded at the giant face in front of him. Heridia was a majestic looking older female, about 20 feet long and holding her weight well. She was most likely around 3 or 4 tons, average for a female Orca but her scars and notched dorsal fin spoke of her age and, hopefully, her wisdom.

Ashur left Marduk rumbling and humming at Heridia and went back up the tunnel. Hoisting himself out of the pool he became Dean and went to pick the covers off the floor, find some breakfast and get ready for battle. As he sat eating his fingers caressed his sword. When Marduk splashed his way up Ashur was already buckling on his scabbard and getting ready to go.

The brothers appeared at the mouth of the cave as Warriors, not the peaceful shepherds of the Channel Islands. The sword pommels lay within easy reach behind their shoulders; the knife gauntlets were laced up their arms and they seemed to have shed their years of accumulated sophistication. Ashur, in particular had returned to his Assyrian Warrior persona. They commanded respect. Ashur now led, with Marduk close behind.

Marduk advanced to Heridia and bowed. He mounted her as if she had been his war horse for centuries, swinging his tail over her back smoothly and wrapping his long fingers over her dorsal fin. The largest of her sons stood at Ashur's side. Looking deeper into the water there appeared the shadowy forms of the rest of Heredia's pod and more.

The brothers urged their Orcas forward and the army followed closely behind. Marduk felt coolness on his skin and looked up toward the surface of the ocean. High above the massive bodies of three grey whales blocked the light and kept watch over the Orca soldiers.

In truth it was difficult to judge just exactly how much weight was bearing down on the Black Maid camp. Marduk almost felt that the Maids should have been aware of these giants of the ocean moving toward them. The camp was only a few miles away. The bow wave could possibly break over the Maids' heads and warn them. He smiled at his own fantasy.

Once within sight of the camp Marduk was almost sorry for what was about to happen. A cry went up before him and a camp sentry sent up a warbling warning. Ashur was in the lead of the crowd and he casually leaned over and cut her throat. This was what Marduk had been expecting and he accepted it. It was the way of war.

Leaving the headless corpse behind him Ashur didn't even slow down. His Orca cast a bloody eye at the waste of flesh but this son of Heridia seemed to be enjoying his position at the front of the army. He pushed forward with Ashur, the pair of them something out of a long forgotten sailor's nightmare.

When they appeared over the lip of the canyon there was a obvious reaction in the soldiers lounging below. Galene was summoned from her burrow and she recognized Ashur on the Orca. She unsheathed her own sword and swam forward, not realizing as of yet that the Assyrian was not alone.

She waved her guard forward and seven Black Maids smiled cruel smiles and approached the males that dared to invade their stolen territory. Galene recognized Ashur's territorial claim but had decided to ignore it long before. She was pleased to see Ashur alone. Marduk was the male she wanted, not the more barbaric Assyrian.

The rest of the camp stood frozen expecting their commander to engage the intruder on her own. They expected blood and triumph; it was all they had seen as the Witch Queen had extended her hold over the ocean's hidden places. When other huge dark shadows rose up over the edges of the valley the shock and surprise that ran through the camp left the taste of fear in the water for the Maids to drink.

Marduk and Heridia appeared at Ashur's back and Galene paused in her forward charge, unsure of her control for the first time in battle. Up to this point she had not faced an organized enemy. Her experience consisted of running down frightened targets with power behind her waiting for orders to attack. She floated in the water, afraid for the first time in her so called military career,

More Orcas floated over the edge of the valley, forming a ceiling of flesh. High above the gray whales floated like thunder clouds. Ashur moved forward and Galene glanced to the side looking for help from her guards. She was met with blank looks and shocked faces.

By the time she decided to run Ashur was at her back. He slid off his Orca companion and moved swiftly forward to cut off her retreat. She spun in place and parried forward, her sword moved slowly, as if in a dream, impeded by the weight of the water. Ashur was bigger, stronger and a lot more experienced in sword battles under water. He bent to the side, letting her thrust pass by then turned and sliced off her sword hand just above the wrist.

Galene's blood curled upwards and her scream resounded through the water, compressing sound into pressure against everyone's ears. Ashur never stopped. He stepped in again and thrust into her belly. The shock sent her wide eyed and still. Blood now began to leak from her mouth. Marduk arrived and held Galene's guards at bay, protecting Ashur's flank against a possible attack. Galene's body, surprise frozen on her features, slowly sank to the ocean floor, anchored down by the weight of her tail.

As if the blood in the water was a signal Ashur heard Heridia issue the order to attack and a phalanx of Orca warriors dove for the camp. Below Galene's followers scattered looking for places to hide from the sharp toothed Killers raining down on them.

Here and there an Orca caught a slow Maid and grabbed an arm or a leg and shook her like a bloody doll. With teeth embedded in flesh the Orcas with prisoners fled up to the surface. Marduk knew what came next for the poor suffering Maid if she was still alive. Orcas made a game of the death of their captives. Marduk didn't think the Orca would actually eat the Maid but he knew that the Killers liked to play with the bodies. She would be tossed and thrown and slammed against the water until there was no life left.

Ashur turned to his lover and smiled a blood-lust fueled smile. The Assyrian cocked his head at the guards huddling together in fear and lifted his sword. He looked for any of them willing face him. There was no glory in killing weeping cowards but Ashur also had the taste of blood in his mouth and he was at this point closer to the Orca's joyful slaughter than to Marduk's cool rationality. Ashur's color was up, his tail slashed from side to side and Marduk noticed that his brother's genital pouch was covering an erection. If even one of the Maids offered resistance Marduk knew he would not be able to stop Ashur from killing them all.

Through the wailing and screams of the camp another noise cut through the water. It was the high pitched distress whistle of the penned dolphins. Marduk assumed the back of the Orca pack was engaged in the age old solder's right of plunder.

The Babylonian stood in Ashur's path, trying to get his brother to look at him instead of the guards. "Enough Ashur," he said, putting out a hand. "We have won. The camp is destroyed. Please stop." Marduk's words almost did not break through Ashur's concentration. "There is still Deep Water to come, Ashur." Marduk shook Ashur's arm. "Please, I need these soldiers. Please stop. Come back to me Ashur."

Slowly Ashur's eyes moved off the Maids clinging to each other and rose to look into his brother's eyes. "Fine," Ashur said and slid his ocean washed sword back into the scabbard. "You want them, take them."

With Ashur returned from berserker mode, Marduk still held on to his arm as he searched for Heridia. Locating the Clan Mother patrolling between the remaining Orcas overhead and those below still pursuing Maids Marduk swam over to her pulling Ashur along.

"Heridia," he called out. "Can you get them to stop? I want to suborn the survivors. It your children go on there will be no survivors left for me to turn."

Heridia stared at the Babylonian. Her eyes were glazed and Ashur wondered if she was even somewhat rational. She looked like she was simply waiting her turn to dive. The blood in the water was like a drug.

The longer he stared into her eye the calmer she became but he knew he was on the edge of a blade. She could go in either direction. "Heridia," he spoke again. "This is only a minor skirmish. There is still Deep Water to take. Are you still with me? This will do no one any good. The Witch Queen still rules."

Slowly she swung from side to side, looking at Marduk then focusing on the ravening Orcas below. He held his breath waiting for her to decide. Finally she called out to her children. Again and again her cries went out. First he noticed the Orcas above focusing on the Clan Mother then those Orcas below trembled and twitched; pulled between hunting for more prey and obeying the Clan Mother's call. Marduk clamped his hand even more tightly around Ashur's forearm, forbidding his brother to interfere. He patiently waited to witness the power of the Clan Mother. If she could not control her pod his plans would fall into ruin.


	18. Chapter 18 - Planning a Coup d'etat

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

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**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 18**

**Planning a Coup d'état**

**From Chapter 17**

_Heridia stared at the Babylonian. Her eyes were glazed and Ashur wondered if she was even somewhat rational. She looked like she was simply waiting her turn to dive. The blood in the water was like a drug._

_The longer he stared into her eye the calmer she became but he knew he was on the edge of a blade. She could go in either direction. "Heridia," he spoke again. "This is only a minor skirmish. There is still Deep Water to take. Are you still with me? This will do no one any good. The Witch Queen still rules."_

_Slowly she swung from side to side, looking at Marduk then focusing on the ravening Orcas below. He held his breath waiting for her to decide. Finally she called out to her children. Again and again her cries went out. First he noticed the Orcas above focusing on the Clan Mother then those Orcas below trembled and twitched; pulled between hunting for more prey and obeying the Clan Mother's call. Marduk clamped his hand even more tightly around Ashur's forearm, forbidding his brother to interfere. He patiently waited to witness the power of the Clan Mother. If she could not control her pod his plans would fall into ruin._

**Chapter 18**

Slowly, one or two at a time and then in larger groups the Orcas responded to Heredia's calls. They stopped pursuing the last of the tumbling Maids who were trying to hide inside broken tunnels or shallow reef shelves. Broken, bloody and defeated the Maids below lay trembling all over the floor of the valley Some were wounded beyond healing and for those it may have been more merciful to allow the Orcas to play.

Marduk looked at the ragged remnants of Galene's elite guard, now huddling together in terror. Moving closer he demanded, "Who is the first among you?"

A dark Maid stood in front of her sisters, head raised and her sword in her hand. "I am Alto, the Captain of this Guard, Babylonian. What do you want of us?" Marduk saw in Alto the Mermaid ideal; tall and dark, brave and protective. Her sable eyes flashed in anger. Her long black hair tumbled to her waist. She flexed her unmarked tail in warning. He could easily see this one singing sailors to their doom.

"If I allow you and your guard to tend to those below will you disavow your allegiance to the Witch Queen?" Marduk gestured to Ashur to come and stand by him.

Alto lowered her sword and stared into the eyes of the rampant Mere. "I swore on the life of my son to remain faithful to the Black Queen," she answered but also swept her eyes over the battlefield. "How can I not remain true?"

"Your son is held captive then?" Marduk asked.

His answer was a nod of her head.

He tooled at the remaining Guard. "How many of you have family held hostage also?"

Alto spoke for the group. "It is the last thing demanded before we were given to Galene. It is the way of the Queen and her companions. Most of the Deep Water Maids have someone held in thrall as guarantee of faith, bondage and good behavior."

Marduk stared at the Maids. "That is the oldest way known. We used it two thousand years ago to control captive city states along the Tigris and the Euphrates. Hostages and witchcraft; these were the levers of power. We learned both from the Sumerians. I assume your queen learned them both from our ancient world."

Marduk swam closer to Alto. "If I promise to destroy the Witch Queen and these ancient evils, will you follow me? If I say that the hostages will come first, will you trust me and help me defeat the queen?"

Altos looked back at her guard. "I will not allow you to harm my guards." She once again raised her sword against him. "I do wish to be free and I wish to see my son again but I swore an oath. How can you release us from it?"

Ashur reached out and encircled her long hair with his fingers. Ashur moved in to prevent the fall of her sword. "I can release you from your vow but it will require a sacrifice from you," he warned.

"As the foremost of the remaining Children of Nammu I release you from your vow and take my payment." With those words Marduk sliced through her long hair with a single cut of his blade. Her hair was shorn close to her head and the dark curly mass was clutched in Marduk's hand. "You have paid. I claim your allegiance now and I offer you the control of this camp and all its inhabitants."

Marduk heard Ashur mutter beside him. Marduk looked at his lover and knew that Ashur was pleased. The Assyrian had not liked Marduk paying the Maid so much attention. Marduk smiled and then released his handful of Alto's tresses, allowing them to float up to the surface waves and away.

"You are a jealous one, aren't you Ashur?" Marduk laughed.

Turning his attention back to the cluster of Maids Marduk announced, "Do any of the rest of you wish to join me and my brother against the Queen? I warn you, I will not tolerate any deception. Hurry and answer." Marduk looked upward at the gray whales still circling high above. "I am needed to prevent Whale Fall."

The Maids all moved forward, jostling to be first in line. Marduk laughed at their obvious fawning and turned to Ashur. "Take their oaths, brother. I go to speak to the whales."

Ashur drew his sword and pulled the first Maid close to his chest. "What is your name, my pretty?" he purred and wrapped his hand in her hair.

As Marduk swam up he was passed by a clump of newly shorn hair. Looking back he saw Ashur making new friends. The Assyrian was sealing each deal with a kiss. Marduk smiled at his brother's ways and kept going.

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Marduk approached the young bull whales carefully. These three had been sent by the gray whale pod leader Go-Don-Kin to join the brothers in the ancient adventure of war. These three were youngsters, possibly no more than eight years old. With the brashness of youth they had decided to join Marduk's army.

The Mere approached making sure not to surprise the bulls. Just getting rammed by one of them could possibly kill him. Slowly he circled until he was front and center where they could all look him over and listen to what he had to say.

The whale ear has specific adaptations to the marine environment. In humans, the middle ear works as an equalizer between the outside air's low impedance and the cochlear fluid's high impedance. In whales, however, there is no great difference between the outer and inner environments. Instead of sound passing through the outer ear to the middle ear, whales receive sound through the throat, from which it passes to the inner ear. The whale ear is acoustically isolated from the skull by air-filled sinus pockets, which allow for greater directional hearing underwater. Nothing that sings in the water can pass by unheard.

First he made it perfectly clear that there was no need for Whale Fall. The Fall was named for the bodies of dead whales which sank to the ocean floor upon death of the individual, providing a bounty for all types of other life. Dead whales provide food for deep water sharks and rays for months after the Fall. Smaller scavengers follow and each creature in turn feasts. Over the years the whale carcass came to be used in full. Even years after the Fall whale bones are mined by creatures that return the substance of the bones to the ocean's waters. The birth, lives and deaths of whales kept the oceans healthy and rich.

In extreme circumstances live whales fell. These three might have sacrificed themselves if the battle had gone badly. Tons of whales would have crushed the Meres' valley camp most effectively. Marduk let the young bulls know that he had much different plans for them. Instead of throwing their lives away Marduk asked them to perform as his judges. All the intelligent sea creatures knew that the Black Meres had returned to the witchcraft of ancient days. These young bulls would accrue as much, if not more, status acting as judges as they would have acting as warriors. Their mothers would be proud and they would rejoin their pod older and wiser in the ways of the Mere world. Knowledge carried a high value in the world of whales.

Marduk proposed that he would have accused witches brought before them and the whales would pass judgment on each case. This was a function very well suited to the slow deliberate processes of the gray whales. They would not be moved by either hasty accusations or by protestations of innocence. Marduk was confident that the guilty would be punished and the innocent set free. Marduk wanted black witches scrubbed from Mere society. The Babylonian had no problem with magic but he did not intend to tolerate evil.

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Marduk entered the Black Maids' camp riding on Heridia. The damage was extensive and the beaten Maids were gathering in the center of the destruction. Most tunnels had been damaged by Orcas eager to pursue their prey. A number of Maids had been bitten but escaped with serious wounds. In the middle of the bloody carnage filled water Marduk saw Ashur seated on Heridia's son, Maydong. Ashur, the arrogant barbarian, had Alto and her Guards following him. All of them had shorn heads and lowered eyes.

Marduk rode up beside Ashur. "Brother," Marduk growled. "Why are your Guards following you around? They would be more useful elsewhere. "

Ashur wiggled his eyebrows at his brother. "Don't you like them? They are all so pretty now. Everyone knows just who is in charge and we haven't had any trouble."

"Well, trouble is here and I am it," Marduk turned to Alto.

"Captain Alto," Marduk barked out. "Take your command and sweep the camp. I want the perimeter secured. No one is going go running to the Witch Queen with word of this action. Any Maids who try to run are to be killed. I also want all known Witches in the camp assembled in a place where they can be watched. I am going to set up a court of inquiry. Our gray whale friends have agreed to be the judges"

Alto bowed and pulled her sword, casting angry glances at Ashur. Ashur wasn't going to win that soldier over by fluttering his lashes at her. She was definitely Marduk's girl.

Marduk made this announcement in a voice loud and deep enough to reverbate throughout the camp. Heridia echoed him to her pod and the well trained Orcas began to patrol the valley ridges. Marduk still could hear faint distress cries from the direction of the dolphin pen but there was little he could do for the pack dolphins now. His attention was fully on the assembled surviving Maids.

Turning to Ashur Marduk waved his brother to his side. "Ashur, would you and Maydong please go back to our cave? I want you to hunt up anything we have that can be considered a badge of honor. I want to present the symbols to various Maids to give them authority to make decisions and settle disputes. We almost have to create a community structure out of nothing more than symbols. Do you have any suggestions on what we should use?"

"I know just the thing," Ashur replied. "Leave it to me. I have lengths of gold chain and a good many pretties to hang on them. Pick your Maids. I'll return as quickly as possible." He turned Maydong's head toward their home.

While Ashur was away Marduk and Alto organized the remaining Maids into groups. There were the healthy and unharmed, the wounded but savable and there were those that simply needed succor as they died. Moving among the dying were Maids who offered comfort to their unfortunate sisters. Here and thee a weeping voice was suddenly silenced and Marduk turned away. If pain was that deep then death was kind.

The bodies were moved along out of the canyon, up the sides of the escarpment and jettisoned into the deepest available floor. The names of the dead Meres were passed from one living set of lips to the next. This was a traditional matter for Meres. The Meres had learned from the Whales and bodies were returned to the ocean to provide for new life to come. The Dead were remembered by their families. True death for a Mere was to leave no one behind to remember them.

Ashur returned carrying necklaces of gold chain with Spanish doubloons attached. Maydong had bitten each coin to provide a hole for Ashur to thread with his chain and between the two of them they assembled Marduk's requested Badges of Office.

Marduk and Ashur moved among the survivors distributing a necklace and an additional doubloon to the Maids Marduk had selected. The first of the Badges went to Alto and her group and then to the nursing Maids that Marduk had noted. There was a head cook and a mistress of the child like recruits. As the afternoon passed the camp began to take shape and a hum of activity permeated the water.

The tunnel caverns were wrecked and a number of Maids had no set place to sleep but they began to take care of each other. The group started to realize that their communal natures were going to be allowed to be reborn. The doubloons the brothers had distributed were the first treasure these Maids had seen in years. Most of them had been working from morning to night for food and the promise safety for their families.

With such simple and natural gestures of kindness Marduk began to earn the Maids' gratitude. He was hoping for loyalty but would settle for peace. He also noticed the number of soft glances cast at both him and his brother. These Maids had been denied the most basic rights of the Mere world for many years. The Witch Queen and her court had much to answer for.


	19. Chapter 19- Preparing the Army

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 19**

**Preparing the Army**

**From Chapter 18**

_The tunnel caverns were wrecked and a number of Maids had no set place to sleep but they began to take care of each other. The group started to realize that their communal natures were going to be allowed to be reborn. The doubloons the brothers had distributed were the first treasure the Maids had seen in years. Most of them had been working from morning to night for food and the promise of safety for their families._

_With such simple and natural gestures of kindness Marduk began to earn the Maids' gratitude. He was hoping for loyalty but would settle for peace. He also noticed the number of soft glances cast at both him and his brother. These Maids had been denied the most basic rights of the Mere world for many years. The Witch Queen and her court had much to answer for._

**Chapter 19**

Marduk hovered at Heridia's side, looking over the remnants of battle. The Clan Mother had established her control over her pod and even the other pods which had followed the excitement in the water in hopes of good hunting and blood. Now the clumps of Orcas were breaking up and heading out to their ancestral territories. Marduk leaned his head against Heridia's side and they talked of the battle and of who had fallen. Heridia recounted the names of her pod and Marduk countered with the names of his ancestors going back into the clouded waters of time.

The Clan Mother acknowledged Marduk's right to claim the title Child of Nammu and she pledged her help in future battles against the Witch Queen. She would see to it that no word of today's battle would spread from her pod to Deep Water. The other Clans were not in her control but she promised to try and enlist the other Clan Mothers in Marduk's crusade.

The great Orca turned away and followed the last of her children as they disappeared to the North. Marduk watched as she rushed up and breached on the surface, trumpeting her victory to the open air. The Clan Mother was proud of her children and full of joy. When her heavy body slammed back onto the ocean's surface the sound of the displaced water rumbled through the Mere's valley. Marduk smiled at the Mother's celebration and then turned to his own people lying broken and bleeding in the camp below.

Even from his height in the water he could see the camp beginning to take shape. He was amused to see Ashur drifting through the camp, a bevy of Maids following behind. Ashur was his forever he had no doubt but Marduk understood his brother. Ashur could be a little proud and now he was the center of all those female eyes. Marduk wondered if his brother would burst he was so puffed up. Ashur was the source of gold and Badges of Authority and, above all else, he was an obviously virile male.

Marduk started to sink downward. He wondered if they would be going home or if Ashur was going to be too interested in his new admirers to want to leave. These Maids had been deprived and controlled for far too long. Marduk sympathized. The worst thing that could happen to a Mere was to die and leave no one behind to whisper their name in remembrance. To be forgotten was to be truly dead. Marduk considered his responsibility perhaps in getting this shoal of Maids pregnant or if Ashur was going to try and do it all by himself.

Marduk caught up to Ashur and had to smile. The Assyrian still had a good many gold chains wrapped around his neck. Glancing back Marduk saw that all of the following Maids had shorn their heads and each had a softly shining chain around their neck. Their hair may have been sacrificed but they all had treasure to compensate them. From somewhere deep in the camp an old sea song hummed through the water. Already the camp was changing tone from sorrow and hunger to hope.

"Ashur," Marduk placed a hand on his brothers' shoulder. "Is someone gathering the witches as I asked?"

Ashur turned and floated closer to his brother. "Alto is taking care of that for you, Marduk. She also wants to see you when you are free. One of the Maids can take you to where Alto is gathering the Witches but," Ashur ran his hand down Marduk's chest. "wait just a minute my love. My new friends want to meet you too."

Ashur flung an arm around Marduk and fastened around the Babylonian's waist. "Come here. You've been ignoring me all day. Busy, busy, busy. Now come here and tend to me.'" With those words Ashur wrapped his fingers in Marduk's long hair and pulled him in for a kiss. Ashur held his head firmly and would not let Marduk pull away.

Ashur's bevy of shorn beauties formed a circle around the lovers and closed in. Marduk actually felt the water temperature rise and strange hands petted his back, his hips and his ass. The Maids were enjoying the brothers' kiss as much as the brothers themselves.

Marduk put his hands on Ashur's shoulders and pulled back as far as his brother would let him. "Come now, Marduk," Ashur purred. "They just want to watch. They want to see us together."

A Maid floated up and whispered in Marduk's ear. "We are making a place for the two of you here. There's no need for you to travel all the way to your cave tonight." The voice was accompanied by a hand on the back of Marduk's neck. "We just want to see the Children of Nammu together. We want to watch you both at play."

Ashur's kiss and the hands on his body were almost driving Marduk out of his mind. The head of his engorged dick poked out of the front of his pouch.

Ashur smiled. "See, brother. Isn't that nice? The Maids are going to get us a nice comfortable place to enjoy ourselves."

Marduk pulled back again, bumping into a couple of Maids right behind him. "Not now, Ashur. I havethings to do. This is not the time."

Ashur reached out and grabbed Marduk's exposed dick. "That's so cute. You deny me and yourself when you are so obviously ready. I told them you were shy and they didn't believe me."

Ashur laughed and Marduk dived in for another long kiss, smacking Ashur's hand off his dick at the same time. "Fine, you send someone to find me when our private hide is ready but right now I have to go take care of business. Later on we'll give your new friends a show. Right now I think you are supposed to be getting this camp in order. Go on, you letch. You can have my body later."

Marduk escaped Ashur's grasping hands and broke through the ring of Maids. He could hardly believe he had fallen into his brother's trap. He knew that Ashur was on a high. He'd seen the Assyrian in battle, leading with his dick. How could he have forgotten?

"Marduk," Ashur called after him. "Don't forget, Alto has to speak to you. It's important so find her soon." Ashur pointed in the direction of the center of camp and Marduk nodded indicating that he understood.

In the center of the broken camp Marduk found a space had been cleared and a perimeter delineated with inward facing guards. In the center of this loose ring a number of Maids sat on broken pieces of coral. He saw Alto off to one side watching the seated Maids. She had two other Maids with her, one on each side. These unknown Maids were the rarest of all Maids; red heir cascaded down their back in fiery falls of color.

As Marduk approached Alto bowed in a sinuous fold and the Red Haired Maids folded and fell painfully on the place where their human knees lay hidden. Alto's shorn hair marked her plainly as one of Marduk's soldier. Her softly gleaming treasure necklace emphasized her value to the Babylonian in addition to her authority over her Maids.

"Marduk," she said as he approached "My Lord."

For some reason the title startled him. He had not considered his old designation as a Lord of his Ocean Territory. The Black Queen had ordered that the title Shepard was to replace Lord when she ascended the throne. The change had meant little to Marduk and Ashur but now he realized it made a difference to the common Meres; as soon as they were free to speak the Meres reverted to the old titles instinctively.

The Mere world had always been structured as a Monarchy. Titles and bloodlines provided structure and comfort to the general population. The removal of the old ways had confused and weakened the general population in Deep Water. Marduk now realized that he, his brother and other Lords spread throughout the world's oceans had abdicated their responsibilities in exchange for a presumed peace. Now the bloody results of their carelessness were coming back to roost

"Captain Alto," he was careful to call her by her own title. "Who are your lovely friends?"

Alto raised her head and stared directly into Marduk's eyes. "These are my younger sisters, Ashee and Gemma. To protect them I pledged myself to the Queen. Even though I kept my pledge she still took them from me and apprenticed them to a woman who called herself Ceto after the Goddess. Ceto was charged with training my sisters to become witches."

Marduk drew back. "Your sisters are witches? Why are they not in the pen with the others?"

Alto reached a hand out to each girl. "They have never done evil. They have studied the ways of the Witches and understand many things but Ashee and Gemma have never done harm themselves. I ask you to take them under your protection as you have done with me."

"I do not know why I would consider that" Marduk replied. "Did you not hear me say that Witches will not be tolerated?"

"Lord Marduk, please consider what the girls can bring you." Alto pleaded. "There is much danger in attacking the Queen without the knowledge to disable her witches. The Witch Queen controls two groups of Meres that are very powerful in Deep Water. She has the army under her thumb through the hostages and controls the religious population through the Witches' Grand Coven. The army may desert if the hostages are freed but the Witches will fight to their deaths to keep their power. My sisters could prove to be extremely valuable in that fight."

Marduk considered the brave Mere. "You may be right, Alto. You are also very valuable. Do you know that? You think more like a commander and a politician than a soldier. If I take what looks like your entire family as my personal entourage, will you be satisfied?'

Alto bowed her head again and looked away. "There is one more."

"One more sister?" Marduk asked.

"No, there is our little brother and he is in the most danger of all of us" she answered. Her sisters also raised their heads and stared at Marduk's face obviously hoping he would listen to their older sister.

Marduk frowned. "I have not had time yet to ask why there are no men in your army. Where are all the men? Where are the pregnant Maids? There is a mystery here, isn't there?"

"Yes." Alto answered. "I will show you something that will explain all but first, do you accept my sisters as your own personal Witches?"

"Fine" Marduk answered. "But only because I have come to trust you, Alto. Are they willing to make the sacrifice to break their oaths to the Witch queen and follow me? Will they become not only my personal Witches but also my witch Finders? It is not a pleasant job and they are both apparently very young."

In answer Alto took out her knife and cut her sisters' glorious locks herself. Marduk almost regretted the act. Red hair was the rarest of all Mere colors. He called the girls forward and instructed them to stand with him, one on each side. He comforted them with whispers. "It will grow back. You will be glorious again but this time you will be free."

Marduk floated off to the side and sat on a chunk of coral. His newly accepted Witch Finders stood at his shoulders. "Now what are we going to do with these woman?' he asked and pointed to the witches gathered inside the circle.

Alto called out a couple of her guards. "We will gather the evidence and witnesses to present to the Whale Judges for each of these women. It is not our place to condemn them. So many of us have been forced to live lives that we have not chosen for ourselves; we must tread carefully before we condemn any of these Meres to death."

"Very well, Alto, I am going to leave you here to organize your guards. These accused Witches must be watched to make sure they don't use any of their gifts. Please raise one of your Guards to Captain and put her in charge. You know your people's strengths. I'm sure you will chose well."

After you have completed that work please come find me. I want you to be my military advisor. You will join your sisters at my back, always to accompany me. Right now I'm going to go find Ashur. I'm sure he has had enough time to get into some kind of trouble, if he hasn't taken a break to impregnate half of our survivors already. Do you have enough troops?"

"We are fine, My Lord. There are any number of soldiers scattered throughout the survivors who were on punishment details for one or another perceived fault. They will flock to me when I call. Could I ask that when you find your brother that more Badges be sent over to mark all my soldiers? We are finding them to be very useful in maintaining order. Don't worry about the Witches. They will be watched carefully and not allowed to spin any harm."

Marduk arose. "Very well, Alto, I'll expect to see you soon. I understand that some Maids are creating a place for my brother and I to stay the night. I'm sure someone will be able to tell you where that will be."

Alto flashed a smile and covered her mouth with her hand. "Yes, Lord. That is the talk of the camp. I'm sure there will be no trouble finding you. It will be wherever the largest crowd has gathered."

Marduk looked at Alto suspiciously. "I wasn't planning on putting on a show for the general population Alto."

The Maid now dropped her hand smiled broadly. "That's not what I heard, My Lord."


	20. Chapter 20 - Mere World Secrets

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 20**

**Mere World Secrets**

**From Chapter 19**

"_We are fine, My Lord. There are any number of soldiers scattered throughout the survivors who were on punishment details for one or another perceived fault. They will flock to me when I call. Could I ask that when you find your brother that more Badges be sent over to mark all my soldiers? We are finding them to be very useful in maintaining order. Don't worry about the Witches. They will be watched carefully and not allowed to spin any harm."_

_Marduk arose. "Very well, Alto, I'll expect to see you soon. I understand that some Maids are creating a place for my brother and I to stay the night. I'm sure someone will be able to tell you where that will be."_

_Alto flashed a smile and covered her mouth with her hand. "Yes, Lord. That is the talk of the camp. I'm sure there will be no trouble finding you. It will be wherever the largest crowd has gathered."_

_Marduk looked at Alto suspiciously. "I wasn't planning on putting on a show for the general population Alto."_

_The Maid now dropped her hand smiled broadly. "That's not what I heard, My Lord."_

**Chapter 20**

Marduk was growing weary. It had been a long day. He had checked in with his main allies. .He was seeing progress in organizing the camp. He had picked up the first members of an entourage. All in all he felt like he was owed some rest. He circled around the camp one more time checking on the posted sentries and was now looking forward to finding Ashur and going to sleep.

The thought of swimming the two miles to their cave was not attractive and he hoped that the Maids had found them a place to rest. Looking below he spotted Ashur with his trailing string of Maids lurking around the cooking area. Marduk dove and, as he expected, caught his brother's voice begging for food. That was Ashur; more food, more women, more gold. The Assyrian's appetite for all things was endless.

Marduk settled slowly and floated behind Ashur's back. When he reached out and wrapped his arm around Ashur's waist only then did his brother know he was there.

"Hello, lover," Ashur smiled. "Finally decided to come back, have you? Do you want something to eat? Merina here has some nice tuna."

Marduk moved over to the coral blocks that were serving as tables and sat between two Maids he did not know. They seemed a little flustered but welcomed him. One had already cut her hair and the small amount left had sprung into curls all over her head. Marduk guessed that it made her look a lot younger than she really was. The other maid still had long lovely dark hair and she seemed shy. Marduk murmured to her.

"It's all right. No one is going to force you to sacrifice your hair if you don't want to. I expect all the soldiers to make the sacrifice to signify that their fealty oath to the Queen has been broken. You're not a soldier, are you?"

The little maid continued to stare at her plate, playing with her food. "No, I am not yet a soldier. My name is Naomi. I have not yet picked my path in the world." She lifted her face to Marduk. "I think I might wait for a while. If you are going to free the boys I have a friend there I would like to be with."

Marduk turned to Ashee. "What does she mean? What boys need to be freed?"

Ashee replied, "I should let Alto tell you." Ashee seemed nervous. "Our brother also needs to be freed." Ashee looked toward to middle of the camp when the Witches were being held. "I'll go see if Alto can come now." With that she swam away, hunting for her older sister.

Marduk was annoyed. He did not like to be left waiting. Naomi seemed to think it was important that Marduk be fed and she reached for various bowls and started piling food on his plate. Of course, the appearance of food meant that Ashur was somewhere nearby. In a moment his brother was wiggling his way beside Marduk and reaching for his brother's plate.

"Ashur, have you heard anything about some boys being held as prisoners here in the camp?" Marduk asked.

"I have heard the odd whisper or two," the Assyrian replied. "They generally become quiet when they know I am near. I agree with you. Something is going on that they all seem ashamed to talk about. What are you going to do about it?"

"Ashee has gone to get Alto. No one here wants to say anything. My little Naomi here," Marduk gestured at the young Mermaid, "has a friend she would like us to free but until Alto gets here I think we're just going to have to wonder about these mysterious boys."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

When Alto finally appeared she was trailed by her two sisters. Hanging in the water just in front of Marduk and Ashur she said, "There is something here you need to see. Can you come now?"

"Is this about the missing Mermen, Alto?"? Marduk asked. "Why so much mystery?"

Alto turned and Marduk followed with Ashur and Alto's sister closed behind. Glancing back Marduk noticed that little Naomi was also at the tail end of their party.

They followed Alto out to the rim of the camp to a grotto in the face of the valley wall. When they entered they found an old Maid sitting in a little room rocking and muttering to herself. Marduk looked over at Alto. This woman should have been allowed to rest with the oldest of the Mere World's people, to be cared for and protected. It was traditional that there was an honorable rest and comfort for aging Meres. This woman could be centuries old. There was no real way to tell with Meres. They stayed frozen in physical perfection for most of their lives. In old age they faded and needed protection as they became weaker and one day simply stopped breathing.

"Greetings, Mother." Marduk said courteously. The old Mere looked up. She then started talking but in a sing-song, feeble way. "Not today. There are no guards so not today. Come back tomorrow" she said and then started to repeat "Not today."

"What is she talking about, Alto?" Marduk asked his advisor. From deeper in the grotto Marduk heard Ashur call out. "Marduk, come here."

He walked further back and come to a large central room hung with stands of living kelp. In and out of the waving fronds small colorful fish darted. The edges of the room were obscured but it appeared that there was a room on each side and the doors to the room were made of bars, crusted with growth. This metal had been long under the sea. Marduk moved closer and peered into the room. Floating near a barred window was a young Mere male. His tail was silvered with youthful scales and his markings were only just developing. He turned to look at Marduk and turned abruptly away again. The barred door was locked.

"Alto," Marduk said on a rising note. 'What is this place? Why are these boys here? I assume there are others also."

Alto swam up to Marduk and handed him a large ring with several keys. "It's a brothel," she said, her face distorted. "This is what the Mere world has been reduced to. Do you wonder that it was so easy for me to disavow my oath to the Queen? My young brother, Ander, is in the next cell."

Marduk was infuriated. "Why? What is this about? What about the Festival? How has this been allowed to go on?"

Aalto settled on a nearby coral outcropping as Marduk unlocked the cell door. As he moved to the next Alto spoke. "This is how the common Meres are rewarded. This is how the general population is impregnated. The boys are here while they are young and fertile. What happens to them later I do not know. Someone is always arriving and another is always leaving. I had planned to steal Ander away during his transfer but you and Ashur came along first. Only the high born are invited to Festival. The rest of us have had to make do with this. I am ashamed to say that part of my garrison's duties was to keep this place protected."

Ashur came to stand next to Marduk. "This is our fault, brother." He said. "We and the other Shepherds should have been more involved with Deep Water. We should not have left it up to the Queen. This place did not grow up overnight."

Marduk's shoulders slumped. "We only cared for ourselves and for our own futures. You are right. All of the territory Shepherds share the responsibility for allowing our civilization to rot. All this will take years to put right. All these ruined lives lay at our feet. No more, though. We will take back Deep Water and see to it that the Queen pays for this horrid fantasy."

Turning back to Alto, he said, "Can you find someone to care for these boys? Also, the old Mere outside; is there anything left of the homes for the old ones or has this Queen destroyed that also?"

Marduk had to smile. He had unlocked all the doors in his sweep around the room and Alto had a red-headed young man floating at her back. Marduk assumed this was Ander. He would have to ask Alto later how she had missed out on her family's fiery glory.

He also noticed that Naomi was holding hands with another of the young men.

"I don't believe we will have a problem finding a place for the boys." Alto replied. "I'll find someone to watch over Layla, the old Mother outside. I believe you were headed for rest when we interrupted with this excursion? I will see to the boys. You should go."

Ashur pushed his way to the front and claimed one of Marduk's hands. "Come love. I think it's time I took care of you today. The Maids found us a pretty place to rest. It's not home but it will do for a night. Come away with me." Marduk surrendered and allowed Ashur to tow him along.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The Mermen retuned to the Maids' kitchen. There they found Maids from Ashur's bevy waiting for them. One Maid, proudly wearing her golden gift from Ashur, led the two of them to a peaceful, private coral dwelling which appeared to have survived the Orcas' attack undamaged. Inside they found a typical Mere home filled with soft algae covered surfaces. The delicate waving tiny branches help tinge the water green. Other hanging fronds of a type of kelp acted as curtains throughout. Softly transparent, the fronds subdued the light from the open window embrasures.

Domesticated bioluminescent cave crustaceans clung to the ceilings, providing a mild glow against the encroaching night while colorful small striped fish patrolled the floors and walls looking for prey. This was the best type of the Mere World's traditional living spaces; peaceful, tranquil and safe.

Ashur pulled Marduk into his arms and they slowly sank down together, hanging suspended in space just above a mossy bed. The two embraced, wrapping their tales together and slowly flexing their flukes in tiny, patting movements against each other. Their bodies drifted, twisting in the water, slowly rolling in the quiet space.

Marduk relaxed as Ashur held him, rubbing at his tight back muscles. Ashur's hands could be a warrior's hands, cruel and strong. They also could be delicate and wise, seeking out the muscle ridges and smoothing the tension away. Marduk lay his head on Ashur's shoulder and let his lover take the lead.

They had rarely slept as merman these past few decades. The bed in their cave was a human bed and they sept as humans, in the dry air with their legs intertwined.

Ashur tuned the larger Babylonian until they were spooned closely together. Marduk felt Ashur's erection press against his anal slit and relaxed in anticipation of what was to come. Ashur was humming a soft chant into the delicate skin behind his ear and running his hands over Marduk's chest, nipples and genital pouch, searching for Marduk's own matching erection. Marduk noticed a discordant note unexpected in his lover's song and popped an eye open.

Looking around he realized that the discordant note was a Mermaid's giggle and saw that they had a good sized audience attending their love making. There were Maids crowded at the windows and several Maids were floating just inside the entrance.

Once the Maids saw that they had Marduk's attention they drifted closer and more crowded in through the doorway.

Marduk was getting ready to bark at them and demand privacy when Ashur pulled him even more tightly against his chest.

"Behave, Marduk. " Ashur murmured in his darkest sex voice. "They only want to watch. Who are we to deny them? We invade them; destroy their old world and ask them to live in a new one that we create. We like to believe that we are in charge but the truth is that they own us now. Love is what will hold this new world together. I love you and so do they. Give yourself to me and to them."

Marduk obeyed and lay in his lover's arms, sweetly submissive. Ashur pushed to open and enter him while the Maids advanced. The lovely Babylonian flushed with pleasure and his markings darkened with desire. Ashur held his lover's arms back at the elbows and presented Marduk to the Maids.

Marduk felt Ashur moving deep within his body while smaller fingers traced his tail, his sides and his chest. Strange lips claimed his and a little hand entered his pouch to extract and exposed his phallus. As Ashur stroked from behind, a warm, gentle mouth took him from in front and there was no way for him to sort out the sensations any longer. He knew he was about to explode and couldn't even tell why. His entire body was on fire. Every nerve ignited; each fighting to bringing a message to his overloaded consciousness. When he climaxed the world flared into light. Spirals of color painted his closed eyelids as he lay back in Ashur's arms, completely content.


	21. Chapter 21 - Counting the Sheaves

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 21**

**Counting the Sheaves**

**From Chapter 20**

_Marduk obeyed and lay in his lover's arms, sweetly submissive. Ashur pushed to open and enter him while the Maids advanced. The lovely Babylonian flushed with pleasure and his markings darkened with desire. Ashur held his lover's arms back at the elbows and presented Marduk to the Maids. _

_Marduk felt Ashur moving deep within his body while smaller fingers traced his tail, his sides and his chest. Strange lips claimed his and a little hand entered his pouch to extract and exposed his phallus. As Ashur stroked from behind, a warm, gentle mouth took him from in front and there was no way for him to sort out the sensations any longer. He knew he was about to explode and couldn't even tell why. His entire body was on fire. Every nerve ignited; each fighting to bringing a message to his overloaded consciousness. When he climaxed the world flared into light. Spirals of color painted his closed eyelids as he lay back in Ashur's arms, completely content._

**Chapter 21**

Marduk woke the next day still wrapped in Ashur's arms; at their feet a Maid floated, soundly sleeping. Her body rose and fell with the soft ocean swell. Marduk laughed. It really did look like the remnants of an orgy. He wondered what part she had played.

Untangling himself from his Assyrian lover Marduk made his way to the door, past yet another sleeping Maid, and peeked out. The camp was already alive. Several smiling Maids noticed him and waved. One picked up a bowl from Merina, the camp cook and turned to bring it to him.

He remembered Ashur's words from yesterday: "_We like to believe that we are in charge but the truth is that they own us now. Love is what will hold this new world together. I love you and so do they. Give yourself to me and to them."_

This was the traditional role of a King in the Mere world. He was owned by his Kingdom and all the inhabitants had a share. Marduk didn't want to be a King. He saw himself at best as perhaps a temporary regent. He would not be free of the responsibilities until the old bloodline was found again. He was sure it was hiding somewhere in the oceans of the World.

The Mere World's concept of Monarchy owed a great deal to the Roman deity Diana and her institution of the rex Nemorensis, Diana's _sacerdos_ (priest) in the Arician wood, who held the position till someone else challenged and killed him in a duel. The Meres adopted the role of the King as a sacrifice but allowed the King to choose. He could fight to the death or could willingly submit to his successor.

The Mere King was owned by his subjects. His life and his body were devoted to them. He listened when they spoke with a single voice and he granted access to all. The succession for centuries had gone unchallenged and each King had submitted to his chosen successor.

Marduk knew that the Witch Queen had challenged the old King but had allowed him to go into exile instead of killing him outright. It was the last instance of mercy the Queen had allowed. It soothed the feelings of the other Lords, now called Shepherds, and let the Queen rule unchallenged. Now Marduk wanted to find the old King and submit to him or his successor. It was the only way the Maids would allow him to abdicate rule.

Accepting the bowl from the smiling Maid, Marduk made his way back to Ashur. Back inside their pleasant hide he slapped at Ashur with his tale until his brother woke and pushed him away.

"I have food, Ashur." Marduk teased. "MMMM, I'm eating it all up while you sleep your life away."

Ashur rolled toward his teasing lover and they chased each other out into the open water. Marduk allowed Ashur to catch him. Smiling and laughing they swam over to the kitchen area. Merina saw them coming and sent a minion with another bowl.

Marduk noticed that Naomi, who seemed to be one of Merina's trainees, was sitting with her rescued lover. Marduk looked around for Alto and her family but didn't see them. He wondered where his entourage was hiding. He knew they would show up shortly. Someone was most likely already on the way to tell Alto that the Lords were awake.

"Ashur," Marduk faced his lover. "Today I would like to go back to our cave. I want you to make some tokens for me to use as rewards and I think you'll need some treasure to work with. I also want to call our human friends. Gabriel Wing and Simon Kettle must be somewhat concerned I think. I don't need Wing calling Bobby Singer to say that we've reneged on our deal. Paul Kenny might even be worried about us. We can't afford to cut all our human ties."

Ashur floated thoughtfully. "I had wondered about that. We went to a lot of trouble setting up your plans for dry land adventures. It would be a shame to let them all go to waste. What about your intention to study the human laws?"

Marduk looked around at the gathering of Maids. "We have much work to do here. I know that this disastrous rule by the Witch Queen was allowed to go on this long due to our carelessness. There are many ruined lives that need our help. I no longer have the luxury of tending only to my dreams. I have a war to fight and a King to find. The human world will just have to wait."

Alto, her sisters and Ander appeared from along the canyon rim and move in to circle Marduk and Ashur. Alto did not have her gold chain and doubloon around her neck. I appeared she had passed it along to Ander. Marduk smiled at her. Alto's heart was in the right place. She was watching over her family and trying to do her best for them.

He decided that Ashur would have to make her something special. Ashur had spare Badges of Authority with him to give her now but Marduk envisioned a circlet with hanging crystal drops and gems for her to wear in her now short curly hair. It would be lovely dangling against her clear skin.

"Alto,' Marduk said. "I have a job for Ander if he thinks he can succeed. I have a plan to allow Meres to attend human schools. Perhaps Ander can make inquiries among his contemporaries if any would be interested in doing something like that?"

Marduk turned and looked at Ander. "What do you think, Ander?" Marduk was thinking specifically about the young, healthy Meres just released from the brothel but did not want to push choices on his Mere folk. That was too much like what the Witch Queen had done with her efforts to control all aspects of the Meres' lives. He waited for Ander to consider the task. The boy nodded once, a sufficient answer Marduk decided. He didn't want to scare the youngster.

"Ashur and I have decided to make a trip to our sea cave on San Miguel. We have business to attend to before we take on Deep Water. I assume you will want to follow us there uless, of course, you can't leave just yet."

Alto answered. "Of course we go where ever you go now, Lord Marduk. It is our primary tasks to watch over you. I have competent seconds to take over here. Currently we are only gathering materials for the upcoming Witch trials. It is almost a perfect time for a trip to your home."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Marduk, Ashur and their entourage along with a couple of spare soldiers that Alto added 'just in case' took off for San Miguel after breakfast. Along the way they were joined by Ashur's Orca friend Maydong, although how the Orca knew they were moving Marduk had no idea.

He was pleased to see the Clan Mother's son join them. The bond between the Orcas and the Meres needed tending after years of neglect and sometimes outright hostility from the Witch Queen.

The trope moved along sinuously through the water; the Meres with the variegated markings on their silvery tales and the bold black and white mottling of the Orca made a parade that attracted the interest of other sea creatures. Smaller fish escorted them along territorial boundaries and even a butterfly ray was interested enough to pull itself off the bottom and flutter along below for quite a distance. The ray's eyes were on top of its body so it had an excellent view of the passing cavalcade

When they finally arrived Marduk and Ashur were pleased to see that their squid guards were still on the job and seem to have settled in nicely. Ashur had to tell Maydong to stay at the surface to avoid another attack by the squid but peace was maintained. Alto had been told about the squid and had gathered fish along the way to throw to the guards.

Once safely down the tunnel and into the pool Marduk and Ashur quickly pulled themselves from the water, formed legs and appeared human again. Turning Marduk saw that everyone else was staying in the pool and it was a crowded stew of pretty Meres. He realized that some of these Meres had never had an opportunity to transform even once in their lives and those that had transformed had perhaps only done it once or twice. He couldn't even remember what his first time had been like and turned to Alto for advice.

"Don't worry, My Lord," Alto smiled up at his obvious concern. "I have had some practice in the art and I'll coach the young ones along. We should be up walking around nd invading your home in short order." Leaving Alto to her task Marduk immediately headed for his work table.

When they had left for the Mere camp Marduk had carefully placed the solar powered cell phone on the table where the morning sun poured down from the skylight. Consequently her found a fully charged piece of technology and used it to check in with his human allies.

The lawyer Simon Kettle was pleased to hear from Marduk, or Sam as he knew him, and said that their account was doing well. The lawyer's staff was looking at a few ocean adjacent homes but had not found one they wanted to have Sam look at yet. Sam warned Simon that he might be out of touch for a few weeks but assured the lawyer that their association might become even more interesting in the future. Sam smiled to himself but decided not to tell Kettle that he might become the lawyer to the King of the Meres.

Sam asked to talk to Paul Kenny next and when the associate came on the line Sam said he might get calls from some young Meres that Sam wanted Paul to integrate into the school systems on land. Paul was interested and enthusiastic. He was eager to meet any Mere and make friends.

Gabriel Wing and Dean had become, if not friends exactly, at least partners during Wing's transition from cop to Park Ranger and over the long period of Wing's training on Santa Rosa. One by one certain human luxury items had appeared in the cave. Dean evidently had some mechanical ability and Wing had taught Dean about the electrical grid. From that point on Dan became inventive. In exchange for the funds to buy him some amenities for his somewhat stark Ranger station Wing had agreed to buy things two at a time; one for him and one for Dean.

During the call with the lawyers Sam had heard some giggling behind him and when he put the phone down he turned and found Meres with their newly discovered legs all over his rooms. Dean walked among them showing off the caves' riches and unusual furnishings like a human bed, a kitchen with appliances and a microwave and that complete wonder, a television. Dean had turned on the Discovery Channel and at least four of the Meres were frozen in place watching a show called "The Deserts of the Earth".

Sam was grateful Dean had not selected The Nightly News.


	22. Chapter 22- Battle Call

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 22**

**Battle Call**

**From Chapter 21**

_Gabriel Wing and Dean had become, if not friends exactly, at least partners during Wing's transition from cop to Park Ranger and over the long period of Wing's training on Santa Rosa. One by one certain human luxury items had appeared in the cave. Dean evidently had some mechanical ability and Wing had taught Dean about the electrical grid. From that point on Dan became inventive. In exchange for the funds to buy him some amenities for his somewhat stark Ranger station Wing had agreed to buy things two at a time; one for him and one for Dean. _

_During the call with the lawyers Sam had heard some giggling behind him and when he put the phone down he turned and found Meres with their newly discovered legs all over his rooms. Dean walked among them showing off the caves' riches and unusual furnishings like a human bed, a kitchen with appliances and a microwave and that complete wonder, a television. Dean had turned on the Discovery Channel and at least four of the Meres were frozen in place watching a show called "The Deserts of the Earth"._

_Sam was grateful Dean had not selected The Nightly News. _

**Chapter 22**

Marduk sat at his table and tuned out the giggles and laughter of his fellow Meres running rampant through the cave. He had much to think about. First and foremost was the upcoming battle with the Witch Queen in Deep Water. He decided his first order of business was to get a message system in place. He needed lines of communication with the Clan Mother of the Orcas and a secret way to call the Gray Whales.

Maydong, the Clan Mother's war like son was floating at or near the surface just outside the surf line off San Miguel. Marduk decided he would give Ashur a chore to complete. Ashur was being distracted by all the available flesh. Marduk would task the horny Assyrian with working with Maydong to create dependable communications for the transmission of instructions for moving troops and supplies from the Orca pods home territories to the War's area of operations.

Ashur was confident that Ashur had a brain hat worked once it was refocused on the War instead of how many Meres he could bed. If Ashur kept up his current pace, half the new births in the Mere world would be siblings.

Marduk would visit the latest group of Gray Whales migrating by the Channel Islands southward and try to find yet another young bull to act as a war Singer along with others to act as warriors and threats. He did not want to distract any of the three young males currently serving as judges for the Witch Trials.

They were doing important and valuable work for Marduk's Rebel forces. Every true Witch in the San Miguel camp was a potential spy and they had to be weeded out. He still had to make up his mind what to do with the condemned Witches. The logical thing to do was to have them killed. He was unsure if it was wise to start off his potential regency with a massacre.

In a traditional Mere court each witch judged guilty of evil could be turned over to their victim accuser for punishment if the judges agreed.

A successful accuser in the Mere world had been previously allowed to pick the punishment for a convicted prisoner. They could kill the witch or confine her or even redeem her. There was no hiding behind any faceless government executioner. If you won in a Mere court any eventual punishment was the accuser's responsibility. The Mere world was big on personal responsibility.

Apart from that question, which he would discuss with his Witch Finders, Ashee and Gemma, he had to make up his mind how many more Gray Whale recruits he could expect to join in the attack on Deep Water. A Singer to transmit whale song from Marduk's transitory positions to the Gray Whale pods was essential but other volunteers were also important. The number of whales that volunteered to join in the fight against the Queen could be viewed as a measure of the Gray Whales commitment to Marduk's crusade.

A burst of laughter interrupted Marduk's planning and he glanced around. Some of the Meres had cornered Ashur and were getting ready to toss his brother back into the central pool. He was struggling, not too hard, and obviously checking out the Meres already in the water, waiting to capture him. It was pretty obvious what the females in the water had planned when they got their hands on the Assyrian.

Marduk had to smile. This was what his society had been created for. When they fled the wars in Mesopotamia millenniums ago this kind of freedom were what they had earned. Prayers to Nammu had enabled the change and their fealty to the old Goddess had created their kind.

Marduk had come to believe that when a segment of the Mere society had turned their backs on Nammu and pledged their faith to the Greek Goddess Thetis, one of the fifty Nereids, a daughter of the ancient sea god Nereus, that the eventual appearance of the Witch Queen could have been foretold. The Greeks were jealous Gods, stiff necked and greedy.

As a Child of Nammu Marduk was now setting up a series of tests of faith. He was challenging the current sovereign; he was calling for a return of traditional Mere freedoms and hoping for a return to the Goddess Nammu. He imagined trying to explain this program to Simon Kettle, his human lawyer.

The sound of his brother's body landing in the water and the bubbling laughter of the Maids drew Marduk's attention back to the playful females. Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter he decided that his personal sacrifice would be a small matter compared to the joy he could bring to his Meres.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Ashur had set off with Maydong to talk with the Clan Mother. He was happy to do it. Ashur was feeling a little badly about Marduk doing all the planning while he was having fun; chasing, capturing and possibly impregnating the Maids who had teased him in the home pool last night. Now the Assyrian felt like he needed to prove himself useful.

All the pretty, flirtatious Maids had been distracting him from his lover. Ashur was now on a mild campaign to be nice to Marduk. For a while he intended to spend his nights in Marduk's bed. The Maids could go find themselves another playmate. Perhaps that boy Ander could take over for a little bit.

As Ashur headed out into Orca territory, Marduk was moving into the path of the migrating Whales. Their friend Angloki had long since passed by and led his pod down to Baha to the breeding grounds but the next pod coming down the California coast had heard the news of the Mere Rebels hiding out around San Miguel and were already prepared to listen to Marduk.

Marduk swam with the huge animals, practicing patience. The whales had their own agenda and it was necessary for Marduk to bend to their plans before they would listen to his.

The great gray bodies were cruising the surface of the waves; double blow holes sending fountains of spray high in the air after a dive. Those that were especially pleased to be alive played in the water, breaching the surface and throwing themselves into the air. The crash of the bodies landing and the momentary giant waves made a whale playground an exciting and dangerous place to be.

Marduk flashed and danced among the giants searching for the oldest one. He finally settled beside the great wide and watchful eye of Ma-Gon-De, a huge cow who had be authorized by the pod to speak to him. He hung beside her on the ocean side, hiding from the excursion boats now approaching, full of tourists with their cameras. Ma-Gon-De and Marduk sank beneath the waves. He leaned against her side and they spoke of many things.

Ma-Gon-De spoke of the long trip down from the ice of the Artic, past the broken edge of the Alaskan land mass and then the call of warmer waters, dragging the pod southward to the breeding grounds. The pods had yearlings with it, grown since last year's migration and still attached to their mothers but no longer dependent upon their mother's rich milk.

There were also a number of young males, already eight to ten years old and on the edge of their own adventures, eager to meet the world head on. These were the ones that were most interested in Marduk's plan and willing to go with him to see the world beyond the migration path.

Ma-Gon-De gave permission for these young ones to follow Marduk. They had all heard about their older cousins who were elevated to judges in Marduk's new world. The senior whales were complimented by the Mere's acknowledgement of their deliberative characteristics. Marduk gave them the honor that these ancient creatures deserved. The Witch Queen had offended them with her grasping offenses against their territories and, most disturbing of all, her deliberate harvesting of Whale Fall bodies for unknown purposes. The Whales hated witchcraft and the evil uses to which not only body parts but souls could be bent.

When Marduk finally turned toward home he had several young males following him, interested in his plans. One of the young bulls was already a noted and talented singer with an incredible vocal range.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Once back to San Miguel Marduk felt he was ready to move on Deep Water in his first attack. Before he could however turn and run back to the Camp Ashur captured him and dragged him into their cave.

"You have been busy, brother." Ashur whispered into Marduk's ear. "Come be with me for a while and rest."

Marduk smiled and turned in Ashur's arms. "What's the matter, Ashur? Did your pretty Maids finally tire of you? Or have you taken care of all of them and now they have left you behind, used and discarded?"

Ashur nipped his brother's ear. "Bad Marduk," he growled. "You know I only love you. Stop teasing and come with me. Surely you can take a single night away from your war. The Maids are sleeping peacefully at Camp. You whale friends are rocked on the waves under the moon. No one wants you disturbing their sleep tonight but me. Come along."

Ashur led the taller Mere along the tunnel and to their bed. There Ashur offered himself to his lover and they took joy in their coupling. Finally they rested and. entangled in each other's arms and legs, fell asleep until the dawn light the gold encrusted the cave walls again.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._


	23. Chapter 23 - A New Dawn

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 23**

**A New Dawn**

**From Chapter 22**

_Marduk smiled and turned in Ashur's arms. "What's the matter, Ashur? Did your pretty Maids finally tire of you? Or have you taken care of all of them and now they have left you behind, used and discarded?"_

_Ashur nipped his brother's ear. "Bad Marduk," he growled. "You know I only love you. Stop teasing and come with me. Surely you can take a single night away from your war. The Maids are sleeping peacefully at Camp. You whale friends are rocked on the waves under the moon. No one wants you disturbing their sleep tonight but me. Come along."_

_Ashur led the taller Mere along the tunnel and to their bed. There Ashur offered himself to his lover and they took joy in their coupling. Finally they rested and. entangled in each other's arms and legs; fell asleep until the dawn lit the gold encrusted the cave walls again._

**Chapter 23**

Sam rolled out of bed, carefully trying not to disturb his sleeping brother. Dean was a sweet, attentive and somewhat exhausting lover. Sam smiled down at Dean's face, relaxed in sleep. His long, dark eyelashes rested against his golden skin, a decorative fringe not commonly seen in males. He was a pretty thing and so when the Mere transformed into a barbarian warrior the shock was even more of a surprise to those who only knew of him as an insatiable paramour.

Sam leaned over and petted his inamorato's hair until a barely cracked green eye appeared.

"I have to go now, my love." Sam whispered. "Come find me when you get up. I have to go talk with Alto and her family. I do have a war to run, you know."

Dean reached up to snag Sam's neck and pulled him into a parting kiss. "What? No breakfast?"

Sam laughed. "Sex first then food; you lead a simple life. When you're ready you can come to the camp to eat."

The Babylonian turned to the pool and dove. The sting of the ocean water dissipated as his Mere side became exalted. With a wave of his silvery tail he bid good bye to both his lover and the dry air. Water again circulated through his gills, and he was off down the tunnel, back to the war.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Marduk made the run over to the camp quickly, racing the fast rising morning sun over the face of the waters. He was a silvery flash just below the surface of the waves; there and gone again as is the way of the ocean's creatures, bending light to their needs. Finally he arrived at breakfast with his newest friends.

Merina, the Mere cook, was proving to be a genius at organizing her minions and sending them out to hunt for the best that the fecund ocean could provide. Free of the Witch Queen's restrictions and deprivations she was gloriously providing for the camp. All of the warriors and workers she regarded as her children and, as a loving mother, wanted to deny them nothing.

Already the camp was alive with the joy of a freed populace. They welcomed Marduk among them as the source of all this new found delight. Everyone had a greeting; many simply wanted to touch him. There were smiles and laughter all around. Even though Marduk was addressed as Lord he was a source of comfort and security. Through him the old pathways and dreams were to live again.

He found Alto and her sisters and settled in to eat with them. A bowl was provided in an instant. Alto's younger sisters giggled watching Marduk trying to keep his food from floating away on the soft ocean current. Snatching shrimp from the water and wrapping it in the chewy kelp could make a breakfast a game of capture and keep.

He laughed with them. Turning to Alto he saw that she had dressed in glory this morning. She had wrapped a multi-hued silky covering from her slim hips over her tail. The edges of the vail trailed beyond her flukes, emphasizing her slim figure. Ruffles created interesting waves down the back. Long edges trailed away in the water. She also was wearing Marduk's most recent gift of rank; stands of pearls were intertwined in her short curly hair with trailing stands of dangling gems all around. Ashur had outdone himself and created a diadem of great beauty.

The love of treasure among the Meres was only second to the love of family. Alto was wearing her status on her body. She would be a lure to her sister warriors. They would believe if Alto could gain such treasure pledging herself to the Children of Nammu, why not they? Marduk was almost ashamed to manipulate his people this way but he needed the bodies for his army. He needed their pledged loyalty or he would stand alone.

Alto needed to be marked and given authority to lead and negotiate. He was entrusting her with the first move against the Witch Queen. They had discussed Marduk's plan in detail during yesterday's visit to the brothers' cave. Alto was to take her family and as many trusted warriors as the camp could spare to infiltrate the guarded, stinking warrens where the Mere families' hostages were kept. Alto's job was to quietly suborn as many of the Queen's guards as possible and release the hostages into the open ocean. The youngest and frailest were to be assembled and lead back to Marduk's camp. The able bodied were to join Alto's command. Untrained and mostly unarmed they might be sacrifices in the fight to come but for every hostage that joined Marduk's army there were seasoned soldiers doing the Witch Queen's bidding for sake of those hostages.

Each hostage could bring at least one of those soldiers over to Marduk as soon as the soldiers realized that their loved ones were free. The soldiers would join to protect their families from the Witch Queen's vengeance. All the inhabitants of Deep water knew that the Queen punished the disloyal in barbaric public executions. One of the Queen's favorite methods of execution was throwing a victim into the jellyfish pool. The unlucky victim died in agony from the stings and often it took days before the stung one's heart gave out.

The rest of the family would then be cursed by the Queen's dark witches with a withering curse. Male, female, child and even babies would be cast out to wander until they died. The hold on her soldiers was a two sided threat. The press ganged soldiers acted to protect their families and the families pressured the soldiers to obey the Queen because they were in fear for their own lives and the lives of their children.

With their traditional leaders, The Lords, either killed or driven into exile the general Mere population had suffered under the Queen for decades. If the Witch Queen had not foolishly decided to annoy the pacified Shepherds like Marduk and Ashur she might have ruled until her death hundreds of years in the future. But, as with any other tyrant, she looked for enemies everywhere. In looking for them and attempting to expand her reach, she had created the very enemies that she feared.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Alto gathered her command and with the help of some Pacific white-sided dolphins set out to attack the hostage warrens in Deep Water. Traveling at top speed the group would cover the long miles to arrive at Deep Water in the small hours of the night. Directly after breakfast they left and the attack against Deep Water had begun.

Alto had asked for at least twelve hours to properly clear the hostages to open ocean and Marduk extended that time. He wanted to have the main attack to arrive just before sunset the following day to take advantage of the confusion the attack would create. He knew that his force would appear out of the darkness while the soft lights of Deep Water would reveal targets to the Orca pods.

When Ashur appeared for breakfast Marduk was pleased to see that the Assyrian was traveling with his Orca friend, Maydong. As Ashur ate Marduk explained his attack strategy and left it up to Ashur to get as many Orcas to Deep Water as possible. Marduk was going to use the terrifying blood lust of the Orcas to break into the Mere world capital.

Alto was gone but she had left competent seconds behind. After finishing his food Marduk gathered all the commanders who were not involved with guarding the Camp's witches and outlined the battle plans to them. Over the last few days other soldiers had arrived in dribs and drabs to join Marduk's rebels. These new members of his army were all vetted with recommendations from their blood relations. As far as he could determine Deep Water had not yet been warned of the impending threat.

A few witches and witch's companions had been captured trying to flee the camp by the guards that Alto had stationed around the valley. All of them were now under closer guard inside various chambers.

The Babylonian was confident that there would be enough of a force left behind in the valley to watch their backs and to welcome those of the hostages that Alto would send to them to keep safe. Undoubtedly some of the deserting Queen's soldiers would accompany the frail members of their families on the journey and then stay to keep watch. Marduk made Alto's second in command, a pale pearlescent Maid called Belsheba, the Camp's commander in his absence.

Marduk was beginning to think seriously about possibility of raising Alto and her family to the status of vassals to his blood and granting them their own territories. Alto's military talents and intelligence was of tremendous worth to Marduk and no doubt would be a major contributing factor to their hoped for success.

Marduk wanted to speak to the young Whale Singer himself. He wanted to honor the Whales with his special consideration. He would set the young bull to sing of the plan and draw the other young bulls on the long path to Deep Water.

Within the hour all the various pieces of Marduk's army were in motion. Tied together with fast messenger dolphins, young energetic Orcas and talented whale singers, the power of the ocean world was moving against the Mere Queen.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Ellorna, the Black Maid Witch Queen, lay at her ease perched in the open window of her tower. She was watching the people of Deep water below. Something was going on. She could feel it in the water. She thought she could taste treachery.

Here and there an illuminating creature started to glow as the evening was setting over Deep Water. Ellorna's particular genetic line had produced Maids with unusually long, thick, almost snake like tails that could curl in loops, ending in almost useless flukes. Many in her family had lost the ability to transform and she had never made the attempt. Dry land never interested her.

She had been aware all her life that many Mere regarded her family line as unattractive mutants. She had responded to the hurts of childhood with the development of an unquenchable desire for power. It drove her to her current heights and fueled her taste for cruelty.

There was a pulse in the water and she turned away from the window to see one of her most trusted Witches enter the chamber.

"Olidana," she said. "It seems to me that Deep Water has been unusually quiet today. There are not as many people about as I am used to seeing. Do you know of any reason for this?"

The Witch bowed low, as they had been taught, and replied. "I am also aware of a feeling of uneasiness in the city. Something is being hidden from us. Do not concern yourself, my Queen. I have sent spies out into the city to ferret out the secret. I am sure that I will have someone for you to interrogate by dawn tomorrow or perhaps sooner."

"Why is there no one right now?" the Queen replied. "My little pets in the pool are hungry and anxious. You know it's not good for them. She moved over to the glassy cover on her pool of jellyfish. The deadly creatures rose and fell in the water. Beautiful beyond imagination and utterly deadly her collection of jellies ranged from riots of color to a pure white gem whose tentacles were paired with delicate lacey vails. It was a fantasy of life and the most dangerous of them all.

She really should not have so many in such close proximity but she put up with a few dead periodically so that she could enjoy their beauty while challenging them to try to attack her. She felt that she was in complete control. It was a microcosm of her control of the Mere world. She loved having all that beauty, all that venom. under her thumb and at her command.

Olidana, the Witch, kept her head down. "I am sorry, my lady. I will see to it that my spies understand that you are not pleased. They should bring anyone they can; proof of guilt can be simply suspected, not necessarily proved."

As the witch was speaking the noise from the city suddenly increased. Glancing at each other in surprise both the Queen and the Witch headed for the window. As they approached a fast moving black and white body flashed past leaving a trail of blood to taint the water.

"An Orca?"" the queen gasped. "What is an Orca doing in our city? Where are our guards? It needs to be killed immediately.'

Finally reaching the ledge she peered out carefully, not wanting the Orca to come back and take off her head. What she saw was simply not believable. There were Orcas everywhere, chasing Meres through the water, capturing some and dragging them up toward the surface. There were more Orcas than the Queen had ever seen in one place before. As she watched a Maid that she knew personally was dragged past her window, The Maid appeared dead; one of her arms disappeared into the Orca's mouth.

The Queen drew back and glared at her only possible target, the Witch. "Do something." She screamed. "Find out what is going on out there." Her rising tirade was interrupted when something heavy hit the side of her tower and a boom echoed through her throne room.

Now she could hear Meres chittering in high piercing voices. The words were jumbled and confused. She thought she heard "Death to the Queen" called out loudly in a male voice but that simply was not possible. Another blow hit the side of the building and a dark shadow passed over the city. Once again she went for the window.

There was finally fighting in the streets. "Good," she thought. "My army would have this whole thing under control now." The shadow returned and she looked up to see great whale bodies suspended over her head. Looking further she saw a tide of Orcas spilling over the city's walls. She finally had to accept that her world was under attack.

She pushed the Witch out of her way and swam to the doors. Pushing them open she found a room full of cowering courtiers. She glared. They were all the creatures of her regular entourage; there wasn't a soldier among them. There were guards at the far doors but they had been chosen for their beauty, not their skills.

She felt the reins of power slipping away. Never had her own errors of judgment been thrust upon her all at once. It was so glaring obvious to her now that she had become a complacent fool. She pulled her dagger from her belt. She only had it on her because it was traditional that the Queen of the Meres be armed. She would have ignored the tradition if the dagger had not been so beautiful. Now it was most likely one of the few weapons in the room. She called for her Witches to succor her and slowly the women tried to gather but a heavy pounding on the doors sent tendrils of fear through the room.

Witches needed time and materials to spin their spells. So much went into working up a really good piece of evil. A curse could be highly effective however it wasn't much to offer in a physical fight. Still, she felt more secure with her witches around her so she waved them forward.

There was the sound of many heavy blows and the door shook. There came a louder crash than the others and the doors heavily slammed open against the walls displacing a great mass of water. The guards barely made it out of the way and drew their short ceremonial swords. She thought they looked stupid waving the silly short things around and when the attacking Meres poured through the doors the guards went down under real weapons.

A path opened and two Sons of Nammu appeared. She recognized them. They were the Assyrian and the Babylonian. She hadn't bothered to learn their actual names. Another mistake she now realized. If she could plead with them she might have some small hope of escaping with her life.

The Assyrian bared his teeth in a smile that reminded her of a shark. "Well, hello Queen" he chortled. "I believe you invited me and my brother to your Festival. Tell me, we're not too early, are we?"


	24. Chapter 24 - The Death of a Queen

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 24**

**The Death of a Queen**

**From Chapter 23**

_There was the sound of many heavy blows and the door shook. There came a louder crash than the others and the doors heavily slammed open against the walls displacing a great mass of water. The guards barely made it out of the way and drew their short ceremonial swords. She thought they looked stupid waving the silly short things around and when the Meres poured through the doors the guards went down under real weapons._

_A path opened and two Sons of Nammu appeared. She recognized them. They were the Assyrian and the Babylonian. She hadn't bothered to learn their actual names. Another mistake she now realized. If she could plead with them she might have some small hope of escaping with her life. _

_The Assyrian bared his teeth in a smile that reminded her of a shark. "Well, hello Queen" he chortled. "I believe you invited me and my brother to your Festival. Tell me, we're not too early, are we?"_

**Chapter 25**

The Queen uncurled her long, sinuous tale and propelled herself back into the throne room, leaving her courtiers to face the rebels. The Witch Olidana was standing in the doorway, blocking to the entrance to Ellorna's chamber. The Witch Queen pushed Olidana to the side, knocking the old Mere at the feet of the Assyrian who was moving forward with his hands outstretched.

She didn't even look behind her to see if the Assyrian had gone for the bait. Ellorna was focused on reaching the jellyfish pool. If she could open the cover and release the jelliys into her room it would certainly slow the Assyrian down, if not kill him. She would attempt to escape out the window. Better to chance the Orcas ravaging her city than to surrender to one of the Children of Nammu. She knew the old stories.

Of all the ancient warriors the most feared had been the barbaric Assyrians. The one behind her was something out of her darkest dreams. She knew that the Assyrians routinely sacrificed their captives to their Goddess Nammu. Ellorna had studied the historic records of the old civilizations and settled on the Assyrians as the models for her own reign. They had been cruel, warlike and completely devoted to their Goddess. They had swept aver the Fertile Crescent and wherever they ruled they were absolute.

She paused only long enough to try to shut the door but he was already close behind. She gave up and went for the pool cover. She had barely reached it and pushed to slide it off when his strong hands clamped around her long, thrashing tail. She curled back over her body and slashed at him with her ceremonial dagger catching him on the side of his face.

His blood bloomed in the water but it didn't even slow him down. She slashed again but now there was a long, slim Maid in the room with them who easily stopped the Queen's hand and removed the blade. The Queen was disarmed, alone and trapped with the Assyrian's arms wrapped tightly around her tail.

"Alto," Ashur chittered "get her hands bound behind her and get someone to check that damnable tank. Make sure the lid is sealed." Ashur wiped the blood flowing down his cheek. Alto offered him one of her veils to stop the bleeding.

Alto's brother Ander entered and went to the jellyfish pool while his sister secured the Queen. Ashur was struggling with the Queen's thick, powerful tail and was doing everything he could to keep her down. Most of Ellorna's strength lay in her tail. She had almost no upper body strength but a Mere was a Mere and compared to a human she was still very dangerous.

Alto bound the Queen's arms behind her by lashing her elbows together then helped Ashur secure the long tail. They lashed Ellorna's tail beneath her so that she appeared to be kneeling on the floor. She was in this submissive pose when Marduk entered the room.

Ellorna hissed at the Babylonian. "Usurper! Rebel! You won't meet me in battle. You send your minions in to bind me. Coward!

Marduk stared at the captured Queen. He found her to be revolting but not because of her genetic anomalies. It was her cruelty and arrogance that revolted him. Mere Rulers were traditionally devoted to the Mere populace; she was not. She was completely selfish and unworthy of rule.

Marduk had been informed of the Witch Queen's cruelties. He glanced to the jelly's pool and made a decision.

"Ashur," he finally said. "I give her to you. As a successful challenger to the Queen's rule I am proclaiming myself Regent, and I will exercise the ruling power in the kingdom during the absence of the sovereign bloodline."

He turned to the hissing Queen. "I declare you deposed and in keeping with Mere tradition I turn you over to those you have harmed. Ashur will determine your fate for all your Mere victims.

The Queen turned her venom on Alto. "Who are you, traitorous bitch? If I hold any of your family as hostages they will all be killed as soon as my army wins. Whose whore are you?"

The Queen had selected Alto as an obvious target. The Maid had her gold chain and doubloon as a Badge of Authority. Her diadem of pearls and gems emphasized her value among Marduk's followers. A large part of the Queen's attack was motivated by pure jealousy. There was nothing like the conspicuous display of treasure to get a Mere's attention.

Alto laughed at her former commander. "Who I am is not your concern, Witch. You should be much more concerned about Ashur. He's the one who will determine your fate. Insulting me is not going to make him like you more."

Ashur buried his hand in the Witch Queen's dark and tumbled hair. He pulled her head back until she could look in his eyes. "Shut your mouth, Witch. I have plans for you and you aren't going to like them."

There was noise from the outer room and Marduk turned to see his Witch Finders, Ashee and Gemma, at work. Alto's little red-headed sisters were demonstrating the intelligence and natural authority that seemed to run in the family. They had the Queen's first ranked Witch, Olidana, pinned to the floor with a gag in her mouth and were pointing out the Queen's other witches to Marduk's soldiers. Witches were going down all over the room and the petite Witch Finders were binding the power of each one as they were identified.

The Queen's courtiers were huddled against one of the walls, offering no resistance. They certainly were a spineless group, just the way the queen had wanted them to be. Comfortable that their backs were being covered, Marduk went to the Queen's window and looked out over Deep Water. The fighting was dying down but Orcas were still everywhere looking for targets. Marduk turned and waved Ashur to him.

"Ashur, you need to go find Maydong and get the Orcas under control. Their work is done." Marduk said quietly. "I think the rest of the inhabitants will surrender as soon as we show them that the Queen has been captured. I would like to save as many as possible from your friends. Don't worry about the Queen. We'll watch her for you."

Ashur glared at the Queen as he headed out to obey Marduk's orders. She glared back at him. She wasn't foolish enough to think she could possibly charm the Assyrian. She, more than anyone else in the room, knew what she could expect from him and it wasn't going to be mercy.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

It was late in the evening. Marduk's attack had begun just before sunset and now, only a few hours later, Deep Water had fallen to the Babylonian and his army. Deep Water was glowing with the flickering light of a multitude of bioluminescent creatures as activity continued. Marduk's people were going from hide to hide, looking for the wounded, for Witches and for possible missed hostages.

Ashur had happily gone exploring after calling the Orcas off. Maydong was proving to be a valuable and powerful friend. There were not that many Orca leaders who could control the pods when they were fully engage in blood play. It took time but finally Maydong had cleared his kin out of Deep Water.

Marduk had to make the trip to the surface to advise the young Whale bulls that the battle had been won. He asked them to patrol the perimeter and warn of any stray Black Maid soldiers approaching Deep Water as long as they were awake.

In his poking around Ashur had discovered prisoners in cages under The Witch queen's tower and had switched out the inhabitants. He had freed the prisoners and installed the Queen, her Witches and some suspected close advisors in the cells, one to each cell. Everyone recognized that the Witches were the most dangerous of the prisoners. Ashee and Gemma were monitoring those Maids and reinforcing binding spells to keep the Queen's witches quiet. The Queen, a Witch herself, was doubly spelled and guarded.

Marduk had remained in the Queen's former throne room, receiving reports and meeting various Meres who were prominent in Deep water. Currently he did not trust any of them but he might need them as time went on so he didn't kill them out of hand. These Meres had surprisingly extensive knowledge of Marduk and Ashur, evidence of a heathy and functioning gossip network.

One and all certainly were happy to deal with Marduk and not Ashur. Poor Ashur was turning out to be the biggest, meanest boogieman ever seen in Deep Water. The rumors flying around claimed this particular Child of Nammu was part Orca and just as blood thirsty. Ashur shrugged the whispers away. Neither he nor Marduk laughed at them. Ashur was content to be identified and feared as Marduk's Warrior lover, defender and executioner.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

During the night there were a number of interesting developments in Deep Water. Slowly former hostages were returning to their homes. A number of the Queen's soldiers realizing that she no longer had a hold on them cut their hair short in the recognized symbol of allegiance to Marduk. Without the Babylonian lifting a finger his army increased overnight. Individual commanders were kept lively integrating these sudden recruits into their loosely organized commands. The shadow of a permanent army was forming.

The Queen's power base was shrinking down to nothing without inflicting the trauma of bloodshed on the Meres. As family was the strongest instinctual value of the Meres the return of the Queen's Warriors to their families intact and without pursuit sealed the bond between the population and their new Regent. The Queen had made very few loyal friends, only power hungry leeches, during her long years of rule. Later, when Marduk had more time to think about the campaign he came to believe that the Queen's rule would have inevitably collapsed of its own accord in time. He and Ashur only hurried the dissolution of the corrupt reign along.

They did relieve the suffering of an oppressed Mere world and for that they would receive thanks. The potential sufferings of Mere families were shortened significantly and children would grow up in a free and open society.

The male brothels throughout the city were quietly shut down and the caged boys released. Here and there an abuser may have died under suspicious circumstances but unless the family of the abuser intended to petition the new ruler of Deep Water for redress, not much notice would be taken. In general such twisted Meres would not be mourned. The owners of the properties went into hiding and tried to pretend that they were not complicit.

Also during the night craftsmen were busy setting up the Queen's balcony for its new owners. The Witch Queen had used the balcony, which enclosed half the circumference of her tower, to issue proclamations and harangue the inhabitants of Deep water. At one time there had been an altar to Thetis on the balcony where The Witch Queen would pay homage to the Goddess but over the years, as the Queen's arrogance increased, she felt no need to petition the Goddess for aide. The altar had fallen into disrepair and had been removed.

During the night a classical blood altar to Nammu had been raised, complete with the sacrificial stone and the blood basin. Things were not looking good for The Witch Queen. It was Ashur who had instructed the workmen to build the altar before sunrise.

Just after down, in the pale watery light that penetrated to Deep Water but not much further, leaving the Mere enclave floating in a dark sea, Marduk appeared on the balcony. There was no railing, only a curb to keep objects from sliding off.

The Meres floated in a group: Marduk, Alto, the Witch finders, Gemma and Ashee, young Ander and other members of Marduk entourage, exposed themselves as a group to the Meres of Deep Water for the first time. The balcony was only a focus not a supporting structure for their bodies. After all, what was going to happen? It wasn't like they could fall off; they would just float. The other objects like a seat for Marduk and the altar were presented as if on a stage, visible to all.

Marduk sat so that his fluke markings, the black royal Babylonian slashes and curves were clearly displayed. They identified him as a member of one of the very oldest Mere bloodlines, a true Child of Nammu. He spoke of the sufferings of the Meres under the Witch Queen; the perversions of her reign and acknowledged the failures of his caste to project the Meres. He spoke of the return to the ancient traditions of his people, of his Regency and of the search for the Line of the previous King. He asked for the cooperation of all Meres in the search so that he could be released. He vowed to return to the days when the Ruler was beholden to and owned by the Mere's general population.

Then Ashur stepped forward with the announcement that in keeping with the old traditions that Marduk promised to restore, The Witch Queen would be executed for her crimes against the Meres.

The Witch Queen, Ellorna, was dragged out on the balcony, hissing and spitting, still bound. Ashur tangled his fingers in her wild hair. In control he pulled her backwards over the sacrificial altar and with a smile, while staring into her eyes, slowly cut her throat. Her blood spread through the water. The bloom was clearly tasted by the Meres watching. As she sputtered and died he turned the long bladed knife and split her open from the throat wound to her belly scales. Still smiling Ashur reversed the knife, broke her bloody ribs with the butt and neatly removed her heart.

Raising the still warm heart high over his head Ashur displayed it to the crowd. Curling plumes of blood rippled in the water, washing the organ clear. He then lowered it, took a bite and tossed the mutilated heart into the blood bowl as a tribute to Nammu. The Blood Rite of Nammu had not been performed in public in thousands of years but Ashur completed it perfectly. He could have been doing it daily, it came to him so naturally.

The Assyrian turned and smiled at his lover with bloody teeth. Marduk reached out and pulled his lover in for a kiss. The taste of the Witch Queen's blood flooded Marduk's mouth.


	25. Chapter 25 - A Long Time Gone

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

**By the Deep Blue Sea**

**Chapter 25**

**Long Time Gone**

**From Chapter 24**

_Raising the still warm heart high over his head Ashur displayed it to the crowd. Curling plumes of blood rippled in the water, washing the organ clear. He then lowered it, took a bite and tossed the mutilated heart into the blood bowl as a tribute to Nammu. The Blood Rite of Nammu had not been performed in public in thousands of years but Ashur completed it perfectly. He could have been doing it daily, it came to him so naturally._

_The Assyrian turned and smiled at his lover with bloody teeth. Marduk reached out and pulled his lover in for a kiss. The taste of the Witch Queen's blood flooded Marduk's mouth. _

**Chapter 25**

_One Year later_

Marduk and Ashur were alone in the audience room. Everyone had gone to greet the new Mere King and Queen. Whale song filled the water, singing of a new day, a new reign, a new Mere world.

The lovers were ready to go. It had been a long and tiring year. Every day Marduk had hoped for the successor to the old King to be found and every day he had been presented with new problems. It was a continual round of decisions, disputes and rituals. Ashur had done the best he could to take some of the burden but Ashur was an impulsive creature. Too often his solution to a problem was to eliminate the problem makers as quickly as possible.

Marduk loved his emotional Assyrian madly but it was easier to work with Alto and her family than a blood thirsty Warrior. He often sent Ashur home to the cave to craft more jewelry for his Maids or sent him to meet with his spiritual brother Warriors, the Orcas.

Oddly enough it was Ashur who finally found a solution to Marduk's problem. The Assyrian had pressed and argued for the restoration of the Mere Mating Festival. Of course Ashur loved the idea of pretty Maids arguing over him and, of course, he was more than willing to participate. Nine months after the original battles there were a number of babies around whose tails showed the shadows of Assyrian color bands to come. Of course there were also one or two who's tails suggested the bold Royal Babylonian markings also. Marduk's people were not noted for their shy ways.

It took months of gentle nagging but finally Marduk gave in. He allowed Ashur to find helpers and to set the Festival back in motion. The brothers saw to it that the Festival was restored to its original meaning. It had been traditionally a means of calling home the male Meres in from their solitary wanderings to create that greatest of Mere treasures, a family.

The Witch Queen had distorted the Festival; turning it into a bacchanalia without the deeper meaning. She had limited attendance and used it as a reward for her followers. The free Mere males had fled the Festival and ignored her summons. It had worked for some decades until she had made the fatal mistake of trying to order the Children of Nammu to attend.

She had believed it to be a good idea because the Mere population was heavily weighted in favor of females; they outnumbered the males three to one so she needed males. Ashur and Marduk had not bothered her so she regarded them as weak. Also she had been loping to breed the Nammu magic back into her world. The Children of Nammu made the very best of witches.

Now she was dead. Ordering Ashur and Marduk to attend had been on a par with poking a sea snake with a stick to see if it would bite.

The first restored Festival had been an incredible success. Word had spread through the Oceans that the Witch was dead and Nammu's Children had returned. The Orcas and Whales had spread the word. Even the followers of Thetis were appeased. It was Thetis who had protected Dionysus when he fled from King Lycurgus of Thrace. The God had taken refuge with her and his Maenads had followed him. The Festival was born and blessed by both Goddesses; Nammu and Thetis.

It was at that Festival that old bloodlines had returned to Deep Water and older Meres had recognized one strong, young dark haired Merman as the son of the Old King. Discovery of a possible successor had ignited hope again in Marduk that there was a way out of this Regency and back to his old life on San Miguel with Ashur. The young Mere's name was Crassus. When he was fascinated by Alto at the Festival and started courting her Marduk could almost taste his freedom.

Ashur floated just out of reach, teasing Marduk. The Babylonian wanted to hold his lover, clutch him close and take comfort in the feel of Ashur's skin but the Assyrian was being sly. Marduk decided that Ashur was helping. He was adding balance to Marduk's days; reminding him of what he truly desired.

Together they would return to San Miguel and leave the Mere world to King Crassus and Queen Alto.

Marduk moved to the tower window and looked out at the city below. He waved Ashur over and they watched as Crassus and Alto stood elevated on a coral mound. Around them the Mere world frolicked and danced.

Alto was beautiful. She had kept her hair short as she felt it was befitting a Warrior. She wore her trailing sheer vails of blue and green. She still wore Ashur's diadem of pearls and gems that twinkled even though only lit by bioluminescent creatures swimming feely. There had never been a reason to hold those creatures captive. They actually preferred to be around Meres. Their soft glows kept the city ablaze at night with the most delicate fire.

Marduk watched the Royal couple kiss and his heart pained him a bit to know that his Alto was now pledged to another. He would miss her. He was also losing his pretty little Witch Finders, Ashee and Gemma. The girls were going to stay with their sister.

Their brother, Ander, however was coming with Ashur and Marduk for a while. The natural Merman solitary nature was pushing the young Mere into adulthood. He was looking for worlds to conquer on his own and Marduk had spoken to him of those dry land cities and the dry land men who lived there.

Marduk offered to introduce Ander to his human friends, Gabe Wing, Simon Kettle and Paul Kenny. Ander was going to try to walk Marduk's path and learn about the human world. Alto fully approved of the plan, seeing an advantage in having an inside man among the humans. To Ander it looked like an adventure. To Alto it looked like a reasonable precaution.

Marduk thought he might take up the threads of his old life again. He even thought of trying to go to that school that Simon Kettle had approved; Pepperdine by the ocean. He smiled to himself thinking about a former Regent of the Mere civilization sitting in a class room with young humans.

"What are you grinning about?" Ashur asked and pushed into his brother's side.

Marduk wrapped his arms around Ashur and rested his cheek on top of the Assyrian's head. "I'm dreaming about us going home to stay."


End file.
